Good News! Americans are driving more than ever.

[kendallf]

Yeah, I love these articles:

http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/26/news/economy/americans-driving-all-time-high/index.html?iid=EL

Nice upbeat piece on this great sign for the economic recovery; the American Consumer (tm) comes to the rescue! 

The piece prompted me to look up this site with age and gender driving stats:

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm

Lots of other interesting driving, highway system, and crash statistics there. 

[MrStash2000]

The AVERAGE middle age male drives over 18000 miles?

SMH

[Inkedup]

"The focus has shifted now to the American consumer to help lift the economy."

Yay (sarcasm).

As I was watching all these bonehead drivers last night, I was thinking that I couldn't wait for the price of gas to go back up. 

[fattest_foot]

The AVERAGE middle age male drives over 18000 miles?

SMH

I bought a new car in 2013 (fine, facepunch me), and needed to get the oil changed earlier this summer. It had about 22,000 miles on it in 29 months of ownership, and the person taking down the information was like, "Wow, you've got some amazingly low mileage on this car!"

And here I had been thinking that it was a ton because we use it for lots of long distance trips in California (including several for work). If I took out all those trips, it'd probably be around 12,000. I can't even fathom 18,000 in a single year. Where are these people driving to?!

[frugalnacho]

If you live 40 miles from home that's...

40 mi X 2 trips/day X 5 trips per week X 50 weeks per year =  20,000 miles/yr.

Lots of people have commutes that are 40+ miles.  Easy to see how the average person drives that much.  Of course I think living 40 miles away from a place you go nearly every day is insane, but it's totally reasonable to most people.

[GuitarStv]

It will be interesting to see what happens in another few years when the price of oil rebounds and you're paying twice as much to fill up.

[skunkfunk]

My FIL, a middle-aged male, drives approximately 100,000 miles a year. Guys like that bring that average up.

[Gone Fishing]

It will be interesting to see what happens in another few years when the price of oil rebounds and you're paying twice as much to fill up.

If it happens slowly, probably nothing.  The Katrina spike was hard and fast enough to get people to drive less.  I was living in a 1 million+ population city at the time and the change was quite noticeable.  Too bad gas had to hit $4 a gallon to make it happen, it was very nice!

[kendallf]

My FIL, a middle-aged male, drives approximately 100,000 miles a year. Guys like that bring that average up.

We have a guy who works with me who lives in Brunswick, GA.  86 miles one way.  We were having a beer at a co-worker's retirement celebration last week when he mentions this; he said, "Yeah, I really need to think about getting my house ready to sell, but I like my neighborhood!"  I asked him if he ever sees it in the daylight.

[GuitarStv]

My FIL, a middle-aged male, drives approximately 100,000 miles a year. Guys like that bring that average up.

Some of us really don't like to ask for directions when we get lost.

[skunkfunk]

My FIL, a middle-aged male, drives approximately 100,000 miles a year. Guys like that bring that average up.

Some of us really don't like to ask for directions when we get lost.

I should probably disclose that he owns a water delivery route. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse, though it does bring in a good amount of money.

[GuitarStv]

My FIL, a middle-aged male, drives approximately 100,000 miles a year. Guys like that bring that average up.

Some of us really don't like to ask for directions when we get lost.

I should probably disclose that he owns a water delivery route. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse, though it does bring in a good amount of money.

Unless he lives in one of the areas of the country without access to tap water, it makes it even worse.

[frugalnacho]

My FIL has a 2010 prius with 260,000 miles.  So I suppose he drives around 50,000 miles per year.  Yes I realize how ridiculous it is, and i've attempted to talk to them about it, but they are set in their ways and won't listen to reason.

[skunkfunk]

My FIL, a middle-aged male, drives approximately 100,000 miles a year. Guys like that bring that average up.

Some of us really don't like to ask for directions when we get lost.

I should probably disclose that he owns a water delivery route. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse, though it does bring in a good amount of money.

Unless he lives in one of the areas of the country without access to tap water, it makes it even worse.

I'd estimate half his sales are to oil workers, wind generator construction, that kind of thing. The water in town around there does have enough arsenic that it is not recommended that pregnant women drink it.

[One Noisy Cat]

    I am driving more...up to 4,000 miles..... but that's because of trips to enjoy my retirement and, sadly, a funeral which counted for 1/4 of the mileage. 

[StockBeard]

My FIL, a middle-aged male, drives approximately 100,000 miles a year. Guys like that bring that average up.

Some of us really don't like to ask for directions when we get lost.

Ha, well played :)

[The Guru]

If you live 40 miles from home that's... you REALLY need to move...;-)

40 mi X 2 trips/day X 5 trips per week X 50 weeks per year =  20,000 miles/yr.

Lots of people have commutes that are 40+ miles.  Easy to see how the average person drives that much.  Of course I think living 40 miles away from a place you go nearly every day is insane, but it's totally reasonable to most people.

ftfy

[Rezdent]

If you live 40 miles from home that's...

40 mi X 2 trips/day X 5 trips per week X 50 weeks per year =  20,000 miles/yr.

Lots of people have commutes that are 40+ miles.  Easy to see how the average person drives that much.  Of course I think living 40 miles away from a place you go nearly every day is insane, but it's totally reasonable to most people.

Crap, I can even imagine living 40 miles from home.  I'd change the name of wherever I was living to "home" just to avoid that.

[Jack]

"Yo mama's so fat, she lived 40 miles from home!"

[JLee]

My FIL, a middle-aged male, drives approximately 100,000 miles a year. Guys like that bring that average up.

Some of us really don't like to ask for directions when we get lost.

I should probably disclose that he owns a water delivery route. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse, though it does bring in a good amount of money.

Unless he lives in one of the areas of the country without access to tap water, it makes it even worse.

Gotta make money somehow, though... If it wasn't for the consumerist lifestyle in the US, a lot of us wouldn't have jobs at all. :(