FOTW #1041, August 6, 2018: Households Take Fewer Vehicle Trips in 2017

The average number of vehicle trips made by a household in a year’s time was 1,865 in 2017, an average of 5 household trips per day (one-way).

Vehicle Technologies Office

August 6, 2018
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The average number of vehicle trips made by a household in a year’s time was 1,865 in 2017, which translates to an average of 5 household trips per day (one-way). That is 10% lower than the previous survey year, 2009, and 20% lower than the 1995 survey. In 2017 there were fewer trips per household for work, shopping, other family/personal errands, and social & recreational purposes. The rise in internet shopping, telecommuting, and social networking via the internet may be a factor in the decline, as total trips per household has been declining since 1995.

Number of Vehicle Trips per Household by Trip Purpose (to/from work, shopping, other family/personal errands, social and recreational, other) from 1969 to 2017.

Note: A vehicle trip is defined as one start and end movement from location to location in a single privately-operated vehicle regardless of the number of persons in the vehicle.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, National Household Travel Survey website, accessed June 6, 2018.

Fact #1041 Dataset

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