Report: Americans continue to drive brakes

Fewer people in work, less people go. It is a simple equation, which many experts on as explanation for the remarkable decline in the total miles of US drove motorists to refer in the depths of the recession.

So, explain like the fact that even as the economy shows driven finally real signs of recovery the miles continue to decline. This report from the Federal Highway Administration is only the latest indication that the Americans out of love can be with their cars.

In its report released this week, the Agency said the number of vehicle miles traveled – VMT in the jargon of the transport world - fall in the first half of 2013 continued. The past is prologue, the numbers would have recovered at least slightly according to the national increase in employment and income.

In a study earlier this month by John A. Volpe national transportation researchers Systems Center, that the number of miles that are individuals has greatly decreased the driving force in recent years. This number reached an average of 900 miles per month in July 2004. Until July 2012, it was up to 820 per month, a figure that the researchers had not seen since the last years of the last millennium.

"Almost 40 years of car tracks consumption, measured vehicle miles traveled, closely real gross domestic product." VMT declined during the recent recession, as it has during the previous. But unlike after previous recessions, it still not yet recovered", said Volpe researcher Don Pickrell and David pace in the report.

"Some causes are not new," said pace. "Car inventory is essentially on its saturation. Baby boomers drive less when they get older. It is more expensive to buy and own a car."

In addition, younger drivers of less not only because of the cost of buying and operating a vehicle, but also because of new restrictions on the licensing of teen can go. And there is evidence some analytical, some anecdotal, that younger Americans as expected by SMS contacts to socialize as with a drive to the to meet personally with friends.

But the Volpe study discovered some unexpected shifts. There was a remarkable decline in the vehicle-miles traveled by young adults, a group that traditionally more miles than most other groups, especially in a positive economic cycle clocked.

More observations:
The decline in driving was much more important for men than women.
Trial of men, in fact, decreased in every age group except those over 65.
The miles, the ages of 20 to 34 since the beginning of the new Millennium powered by women, dropped.

Women older than fell more driving, however, as seniors of both sexes are.

Contrary to popular opinion, the two researchers argue the decline in vehicle miles traveled does not reflect a switch to other modes of transportation, whether mass transit, biking or walking. And while there are clearly more teleworkers, the study found that it accounted for less than 1 percent of the general decline. Even the growth in e-shopping not explain happen what.

Other studies, among other things, produced by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, have similar characters that Americans spend less time in their cars, wait longer to get their driver's license and seemed found to fall usually always in love with the automobile.

"[Not] they need an increasing number of Americans [feeling] or want a car of your own" art Spinella CNW marketing, whose studied of carless households found the number doubled in the past two decades and is in line with the trend, less than 10 percent this year to reach for researchers.

Automotive proponents are thus, growing the U.S. market for new cars with a double-digit pace this year. Now company LMC automotive consulting predicts that 15.6 million of 2013, up from 14.5 million in the previous year total sales reach. But still nearly 2 million under the industry, would peak after the recession. And it remains to be seen, the rebound has much more stamina.

If anything, a study by r.l. Polk in the last month published found that the age of the average vehicle on the road from 11.2 years in 2012 on 11.4 years climbed - also with the automotive market bounced back so quickly that the manufacturer must fight to overcome capacity bottlenecks. This is a record - and a big jump from an average of 9.7 years Polk reported a decade ago.

"The car as a fetish of masculinity is probably over for certain age groups," transport behavior analyst Nancy McGuckin told The Associated Press. "I don't think that young men take care as much about the car they drive, to use as they."

Does it really matter? Affecting a culture of less enamored automobile have a widespread impact could, and not only those, once wrote that songs like "my Hot Rod Lincoln" or "Little Red Corvette."

Once money for cars distraction seems to be elsewhere, including the telecommunications industry, where smartphones become for many the car once set status symbol.

As automotive engineering, sales and service of the main sources of employment and an important factor in the country's GDP, the change for the future could have a huge impact. Also, the Volpe study points to the already under federal highway Trust Fund funded, what could be even harder pressed to cover the cost of maintenance of the infrastructure.

Each mile had motorists cut from their driving plans a significant impact on the future.