Report: U.S. sees the biggest decline in miles driven in history

Articles — By forcechange on December 12, 2008 5:50 pm

According to the Federal Highway Administration, for the 12 months between November 2007 and October 2008, the U.S. saw the biggest sustained decline in miles driven in our history.  Drivers on U.S. roads drove 100.6 billion fewer miles during that period than the previous year. 

The drop can be attributed to two factors: high gas prices for the first half of that year and a slowing economy in the second half.  According to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, “The fact that the trend persists even as gas prices are dropping confirms that America’s travel habits are fundamentally changing.”

Although her statement is accurate with respect to current travel habits, it seems unlikely that Americans have “fundamentally” changed anything.  Instead, it seems more likely that the reason miles driven have not increased with the recent plunge in gas prices is twofold.  First, and most obvious, in a bad economy people have or feel like they have, less money.  Less money equals less trips and other activities, which equals less time on the roads. 

Second, and probably more overlooked, is the fact that even though gas prices have fallen, we are still living in the immediate shadow of the recent spike.  The shock of the relatively high gas prices over the summer was probably intense enough to stick with most Americans.  While we have a history of quickly forgetting and falling into a false sense of complacency, even we can’t fall into that trap in a matter of months.  We wouldn’t be surprised that, if gas prices remain low for another year or so, that the “fundamental change” that people are bragging about will quickly become not so fundamental.