Skip to main content

US driving distances seeing increase

Web Headline US driving distances seeing increase Main Site Taxonomy WH12, ITS16 Sub Taxonomy Image supplied Needs XSP WH & ITS A recent study from the University of Michigan highlights key diverging trends in the amount of urban and rural driving. The study into Sustainable Worldwide Transportation was carried out jointly by experts in the field, Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle. The focus of the study was on changes in the distances being driven in urban and rural areas of the US. This study
July 12, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
A recent study from the 5186 University of Michigan highlights key diverging trends in the amount of urban and rural driving. The study into Sustainable Worldwide Transportation was carried out jointly by experts in the field, Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle. The focus of the study was on changes in the distances being driven in urban and rural areas of the US. This study examined data estimating annual distances driven in urban and rural environments. The research also took into account whether the driving was carried out on interstate highways, arterial routes or other roads. The study covered the period from 2000 to 2016 and uncovered two key facts. The overall distance being driven/year in the US grew 15% between 2000 and 2016. In this time, the total distance driven in the urban cycle increased 33% while conversely, the total distance driven in rural areas dropped by 12%. It is clear that the growth in the overall distance driven in the US between 2000 and 2016 is broadly aligned with the increase in population during the same period. However the trends towards increases in urban driving and decreasing rural driving do not entirely match the shifts in the populations of urban and rural areas in the US and a further study may be required to explain this phenomenon.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Demand diversity in the construction equipment sector
    June 1, 2015
    Demand within the global construction equipment manufacturing industry is anything but homogenous, with certain countries and sales regions significantly outperforming others, with a whole host of factors fuelling and suppressing each key market - Guy Woodford reports
  • PPRS Nice 2018: maintenance moves mountains
    June 22, 2018
    Strategic maintenance was a major theme at the second Pavement Preservation and Recycling Summit in Nice, France. The world is changing, mobility is changing and so roads must change and adapt for the future.” With this brief statement, Jacques Tavernier opened the second PPRS Summit. “At the same time there is a growing awareness of poor or non-existent maintenance for highways. The question for this conference is how to adapt road maintenance in the face of this challenge,” said Tavernier, in his role as
  • Europe's smart road pricing project
    April 12, 2012
    New trials pave the way for smart road pricing using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). In recent years, the concept of road charging has been gaining acceptability among Europe's policymakers.
  • Improving safety for vulnerable road users
    January 2, 2013
    Dutch-style cycle safety for other European nations – Mike Woof writes A recent event held in London during October was aimed at improving safety for vulnerable road users. Called Love London go Dutch, the event was intended to highlight some of the experience from Holland in reducing risk rates for vulnerable road users such as cyclists. Similar events were held in other UK cities, while other major European cities such as Paris that are seeing an increase in cycling also have a lot to learn from Dutch exp