The number of Americans on the road and the average number of miles driven by each motorist increased in 2015 according to a new survey from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The research also found that the percentage of Americans aged 16 years and older who reported driving also grew during that time.
“The amount of time the average driver spends behind the wheel each year is equivalent to seven 40-hour weeks at the office,” says Jurek Grabowski, research director for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “It’s clear that traveling by car remains a central part of American’s lives.”
The American Driving Survey is the most current and comprehensive look at how much Americans drive on a daily and yearly basis. It revealed that Americans drove a total of 2.45 trillion miles last year, which is a 2.4 percent increase from 2014. Other survey findings show that:
- Approximately 224.8 million Americans aged 16 years and older reported driving in 2015, a 1.5 percent increase from the year before.The total population aged 16 years and older increased by only 1 percent in the same period.
- Motorists in the Midwest drive more (11,295 miles annually) compared to those in the Northeast (9,328 miles annually) or the West (10,906), but slightly less than those in the South (11,314).
- The average number of miles driven per driver increased 0.8 percent, from 10,830 in 2014 to 10,919 last year.
- On average, men report driving 2,314 more miles than women per year and spend 18 percent more time behind the wheel.
- More than 86 percent of U.S. households have at least one car for every driver in the home and 28 percent report having more cars than drivers.
- Seniors over the age of 75 drive fewer miles (5,840 annually) than teenagers (7,551 annually). Drivers ages 30-49 drive an average of 13,506 miles annually, more than any other age group.
- On average, Americans drive the most during the fall (October through December) at 31.5 miles daily and drive the least during the winter (January through March) at 26.2 miles daily.
“This survey highlights the importance of maintaining our transportation infrastructure as well as planning for future capacity,” said Nick Jarmusz, Wisconsin Director of Public Affairs for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “We must find a way to ensure that sustainable funding is available for these projects on the national, state and local levels.”
The new survey results are part of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s annual American Driving Survey, which reveals the driving habits of the American public. The survey data are from a sample of 5,774 drivers who provided information about their daily driving trips in calendar years 2014 and 2015. The AAA Foundation released their first American Driving Survey in 2015.
