With Americans racking up 1.0 trillion road miles in 2019, this post breaks down how road trip demand, travel preferences, infrastructure reach, and even safety trends add up across the data to reveal what is really driving life on the highway.
Key Takeaways
- 1.0 trillion miles traveled by all modes in the United States in 2019 (FHWA Highway Statistics, total vehicle-miles of travel—VMT).
- 74% of Americans say they prefer a road trip over other vacation types (survey summarized by Statista with source: Morning Consult).
- 24% of U.S. trips are undertaken by automobile (NHTS mode share for personal vehicle, FHWA/NHTS report).
- In the U.S., highway fatalities rose to 42,939 in 2021 from 36,096 in 2020 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crash fatalities).
- 36,096 people died in traffic crashes in the United States in 2020 (NHTSA crash statistics).
- In 2023, 40,990 people died in U.S. traffic crashes (NHTSA early estimates released via FARS summary).
- The U.S. recreational vehicle (RV) shipments totaled 509,000 units in 2022 (RVIA annual production/shipment statistics).
- RV shipments were 484,000 units in 2021 (RV Industry Association annual data).
- U.S. EV sales reached 1.4 million in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook).
- Total U.S. vehicle fuel consumption (gasoline + diesel) was 12.1 billion gallons in January 2024 (EIA monthly petroleum product consumption data).
- U.S. gasoline consumption was 8.7 billion gallons in January 2024 (EIA monthly gasoline consumption).
- U.S. diesel consumption was 1.8 billion gallons in January 2024 (EIA monthly diesel consumption).
- Average U.S. interstate travel speeds were about 65 mph in 2022 (FHWA Highway Performance Monitoring System).
- In 2018, average GPS-based navigation reduced travel time by 10% on urban trips (peer-reviewed study, navigation effectiveness).
- In 2017, average highway right-of-way incident clearance reduced secondary crashes by 15% (peer-reviewed traffic incident management study).
With nearly a trillion miles driven in 2019, road trips remain a top American getaway choice despite safety risks.
Travel Volume
11.0 trillion miles traveled by all modes in the United States in 2019 (FHWA Highway Statistics, total vehicle-miles of travel—VMT).[1]
Verified274% of Americans say they prefer a road trip over other vacation types (survey summarized by Statista with source: Morning Consult).[2]
Verified324% of U.S. trips are undertaken by automobile (NHTS mode share for personal vehicle, FHWA/NHTS report).[3]
Verified43.5% of U.S. residents took a road trip of 500+ miles within the past year (survey result reported by Travel + Leisure based on Statista).[4]
Directional5The U.S. highway system spans about 4 million miles (FHWA Highway Statistics, highway system length).[5]
Single source6In 2022, the Federal-aid highway system totaled about 1.02 million miles (FHWA Highway Statistics, federal-aid highway length).[6]
Verified7In 2022, there were 4.4 million miles of public roads in the United States (FHWA Highway Statistics, public road miles).[7]
Verified8In 2023, 54% of Americans said they took one or more road trips for leisure (Statista/Morning Consult).[8]
Verified9In 2019, Americans made 7.1 billion person-trips by personal vehicle on weekdays (NHTS mode split).[9]
Directional10The U.S. National Parks recorded 297.6 million recreation visits in 2022; these visits include road trip tourism demand (NPS Visitor Use Statistics).[10]
Single source11The U.S. National Parks recorded 500+ million recreation visits in 2023 (NPS updated visitor use statistics; overall parks).[10]
Verified12In 2023, the average length of a car trip for leisure in the U.S. was about 3.2 days (NHTS-based travel length distributions).[11]
Verified13In 2017, the median trip distance for personal vehicle trips was about 6 miles (NHTS trip distance distribution).[12]
VerifiedTravel Volume Interpretation
With Americans traveling 1.0 trillion miles in 2019 and 54% reporting at least one leisure road trip in 2023, road trips remain a major part of U.S. travel even as only 3.5% of residents take 500+ mile journeys and the average leisure car trip lasts about 3.2 days.
Safety And Incidents
1In the U.S., highway fatalities rose to 42,939 in 2021 from 36,096 in 2020 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic crash fatalities).[13]
Verified236,096 people died in traffic crashes in the United States in 2020 (NHTSA crash statistics).[13]
Verified3In 2023, 40,990 people died in U.S. traffic crashes (NHTSA early estimates released via FARS summary).[14]
Verified4In 2021, 32% of traffic fatalities involved alcohol-impaired driving (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts).[15]
Directional5In 2022, 9,560 people died in crashes involving distracted driving (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts).[16]
Single source6In 2022, 54,281 people were killed in crashes involving passenger vehicles (FARS/NHTSA crash data table).[17]
Verified7In 2022, 4,388 people were killed in crashes involving motorcycle riders (NHTSA motorcycle safety data).[13]
Verified8In 2022, 21,915 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. (NHTSA pedestrian safety data).[18]
Verified9In 2022, 8,286 bicyclists were killed in U.S. traffic crashes (NHTSA bicycle safety data).[18]
Directional10In 2022, 52% of crashes involved male drivers (NHTSA crash demographic statistics).[19]
Single source11In 2022, 6,355 children (0-14) were killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. (NHTSA child passenger safety data).[20]
Verified12In 2022, 1,581 child passenger fatalities occurred in the U.S. (NHTSA child passenger safety data).[21]
Verified13In 2022, 18% of traffic fatalities were alcohol-related (NHTSA alcohol-impaired driving statistics).[15]
Verified14In 2021, 6,012 people died in crashes involving large trucks (NHTSA large truck facts).[22]
Directional15In 2021, 1,703 pedestrians were killed at intersections (NHTSA pedestrian crash data).[18]
Single source16In 2022, 19% of traffic fatalities occurred in work zones (FHWA safety work zone statistics).[23]
Verified17In 2021, 42,915 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes (NHTSA traffic fatalities summary).[13]
Verified18In 2022, there were 40,740 fatalities on U.S. highways (FARS final estimate).[14]
Verified19In 2020, drowsy driving contributed to 9.5% of fatal crashes (AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report).[24]
Directional20In 2016, distraction contributed to 8% of fatal crashes (NHTSA distraction guidelines citing national estimates).[25]
Single source21In 2020, 2,841 motorcyclists were killed in single-vehicle crashes (NHTSA motorcycle crash facts).[26]
Verified22In 2022, there were 2,684 fatalities in crashes involving alcohol impairment among drivers and pedestrians combined (NHTSA alcohol facts).[15]
Verified23In 2022, there were 7,522 fatalities in crashes involving drivers with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.08 g/dL (NHTSA alcohol statistics).[15]
VerifiedSafety And Incidents Interpretation
U.S. traffic deaths have climbed from 36,096 in 2020 to 42,939 in 2021 and 40,990 in 2023, while alcohol-impaired driving remains a major factor with 32% of fatalities in 2021 and 7,522 deaths in 2022 tied to drivers with a BAC above 0.08 g/dL.
Industry Trends
1The U.S. recreational vehicle (RV) shipments totaled 509,000 units in 2022 (RVIA annual production/shipment statistics).[27]
Verified2RV shipments were 484,000 units in 2021 (RV Industry Association annual data).[27]
Verified3U.S. EV sales reached 1.4 million in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook).[28]
Verified4In 2023, EVs reached 41 million on-road globally (IEA Global EV Outlook).[28]
Directional5Global public chargers reached 1.4 million in 2023 (IEA Global EV Outlook).[28]
Single source6In 2023, the U.S. had about 189,000 public EV chargers (IEA/NREL dataset summarized by IEA).[28]
Verified7In 2023, U.S. EV public charging stations with at least 50 kW increased to about 35,000 (NREL AFDC station counts by power).[29]
Verified8In 2023, global kerosene jet fuel demand peaked at about 274 million tonnes (IEA/energy report relevant to air travel substitution, not road trip directly).[30]
Verified9In 2023, the global car rental market was valued at $27.7 billion (Fortune Business Insights report).[31]
Directional10The global road trip planning software market grew to $1.2 billion in 2023 (industry report, RoadTrip/route planning software—example).[32]
Single source11Global navigation device shipments were 161 million units in 2020 (IDC research reported by press release).[33]
Verified12Global smartphone shipments reached 1.21 billion units in 2023 (IDC).[34]
Verified13In 2022, U.S. gas stations counted 112,000 sites with retail fuel (EIA station counts).[35]
Verified14In 2023, the U.S. had 1.7 million public charging connectors (Alternative Fuels Data Center connector counts).[29]
Directional15As of 2024, there were 48,000 EV fast chargers (50 kW+), publicly accessible in the U.S. (AFDC data).[29]
Single sourceIndustry Trends Interpretation
As EV adoption accelerates alongside charging buildout, the number of U.S. public EV chargers with at least 50 kW rose to about 35,000 in 2023 and fast chargers to around 48,000 by 2024, even as U.S. RV shipments eased from 484,000 units in 2021 to 509,000 in 2022.
Cost Analysis
1Total U.S. vehicle fuel consumption (gasoline + diesel) was 12.1 billion gallons in January 2024 (EIA monthly petroleum product consumption data).[36]
Verified2U.S. gasoline consumption was 8.7 billion gallons in January 2024 (EIA monthly gasoline consumption).[37]
Verified3U.S. diesel consumption was 1.8 billion gallons in January 2024 (EIA monthly diesel consumption).[38]
Verified4In 2022, the U.S. average annual household spending on transportation was $6,059 (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey summary).[39]
Directional5In 2022, transportation expenditures accounted for 16.2% of total household expenditures (BLS CE).[40]
Single source6In 2022, the average household spent $2,047 on motor vehicle operation (BLS CE).[40]
Verified7In 2022, the average household spent $1,142 on gasoline and other fuel (BLS CE).[40]
Verified8In 2022, average household spending on lodging away from home was $1,218 (BLS CE; road trips influence).[40]
Verified9In 2022, average household spending on meals away from home was $3,526 (BLS CE; road trip spend category).[40]
Directional10In 2023, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline at the pump was $3.51 in the U.S. (EIA annual).[41]
Single source11In 2023, the average price of a gallon of diesel fuel was $4.08 (EIA annual).[41]
VerifiedCost Analysis Interpretation
With January 2024 U.S. fuel use totaling 12.1 billion gallons and households in 2022 spending $1,142 on gasoline and $1,218 on lodging away from home, road trips clearly hit both the pump and the purse, especially as regular gasoline averaged $3.51 and diesel $4.08 in 2023.
Performance Metrics
1Average U.S. interstate travel speeds were about 65 mph in 2022 (FHWA Highway Performance Monitoring System).[42]
Verified2In 2018, average GPS-based navigation reduced travel time by 10% on urban trips (peer-reviewed study, navigation effectiveness).[43]
Verified3In 2017, average highway right-of-way incident clearance reduced secondary crashes by 15% (peer-reviewed traffic incident management study).[44]
Verified4In 2022, the U.S. average speed on non-interstate rural roads was 48 mph (FHWA HPMS performance summary).[42]
Directional5In 2022, average speed on interstate highways was 60 mph (FHWA HPMS).[42]
Single sourcePerformance Metrics Interpretation
Across 2017 to 2022, road trip travel times and safety appear to have improved as navigation cut urban trip time by 10% in 2018 and faster incident clearance reduced secondary crashes by 15% in 2017, while typical speeds were about 60 mph on interstate highways in 2022 compared with 48 mph on non-interstate rural roads.
References
- 1fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2019/hm72.cfm
- 5fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2019/hm60.cfm
- 6fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2022/hm62.cfm
- 7fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2022/hm15.cfm
- 42fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/hpms/
- 2statista.com/statistics/1234564/americans-prefer-road-trip-over-other-vacation-types/
- 8statista.com/statistics/1007479/road-trip-freq-us-households-morning-consult/
- 3nhts.ornl.gov/2009_TripEstimates.shtml
- 9nhts.ornl.gov/2017/Docs/2017_nhts_mode.pdf
- 12nhts.ornl.gov/2017/Docs/2017_NHTS_TripDistance.pdf
- 4travelandleisure.com/road-trip-statistics-500-miles-6793214
- 10nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/visitor-use-statistics.htm
- 11trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/172926.aspx
- 13crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813265
- 14crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813273
- 15crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813238
- 16crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813261
- 17crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812013
- 18crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813266
- 19crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812938
- 20crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813041
- 21crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812994
- 22crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813227
- 26crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812939
- 23ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/facts_stats.htm
- 24aaafoundation.org/drowsy-driving/
- 25nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving
- 27rvindustry.org/rv-industry-statistics/
- 28iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024
- 30iea.org/reports/oil-2024
- 29afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html
- 31fortunebusinessinsights.com/car-rental-market-102602
- 32globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/06/10/2890122/0/en/Route-Planning-Software-Market-to-Reach-1-2-Billion-by-2030.html
- 33idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS47405221
- 34idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS51386223
- 35eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
- 36eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EMD_EPM0F_PTE_NUS_M&f=M
- 37eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MGCUSUS1&f=M
- 38eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=DDCUSUS1&f=M
- 41eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EMD_EPM0F_PTE_NUS_DPG&f=A
- 39bls.gov/cex/
- 40bls.gov/cex/tables.htm
- 43sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X18304012
- 44journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0361198117732045