The latest research shows upswings in vehicle ownership and miles driven.

At the University of Michigan, Dr. Michael Sivak of the Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) crunches data on vehicle ownership and miles driven since 1984.  His latest report, the tenth iteration, was released in January (2018).

Here are highlights through 2016, the year with the latest available data:

• Per-person ownership rates (cars and light trucks) rose for the fourth straight year; household ownership rates were up three consecutive years.

However, both rates peaked in 2006 (at 2.05 cars per household and 0.79 cars per American, on average).  In 2016, the ownership rate was slightly under two cars per household (1.968), and 0.766 per person.

• Miles driven increased in 2016 compared to 2015, to 8,819 miles per person and 22,649 miles per household. Miles driven peaked in 2004, but rose for three consecutive years.

This report is based on information from the US Census Bureau, Federal Highway Administration, and ProQuest (an information-content and technology company based in Ann Arbor, MI).

In December, the AAA auto club reported record travel during the holiday period (December 23-January 1).

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