Think Americans are driving less than they used to? Think again: according to The Detroit News, American drivers are on track to cover more than 3 trillion miles for only the second time in history and the first time since 2007.
The figures from the US Department of Transportation indicate that this past November alone, drivers in the US covered 241 billion miles – a net increase of 2.5 billion (or 1.1 percent) over November 2013.
The increase is attributed to low gas prices, the number of cars on the road (which grows with the population) and – as far as the year-to-year increase from the previous November is concerned – a milder winter. Drivers covered more miles especially in warmer southern climes than in colder states, falling 0.4 percent in November in the Midwest and 0.2 percent in the Northeast, but rising 2.2 percent on the West Coast, 1.7 percent in the Gulf and 1.6 percent in the Southern Atlantic region.
There are approximately 253 million vehicles on the US roads at present. Compare that to 1988, when there were only 184 million vehicles on the road, covering just over 2 trillion miles. So hold on to your hats, car fans, because it looks like we're en route to record numbers.
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