Fawn Johnson

People are driving less, particularly younger people. And, perhaps to the auto industry’s chagrin, researchers say that trend is here to stay. A new report from the Public Interest Research Group shows that for the first time since World War II, the automobile miles traveled by Americans has leveled off to roughly 3 trillion a year. That’s a sharp distinction from a consistently steady upward climb since the 1940s, according to PIRG’s analysis of Transportation Department data.

The drop-off in driving started in 2007, which has caused some analysts to question whether it reflected an honest change in driving habits or the general economic downturn. The recession definitely slowed the use of cars, but as the economy is recovering, it doesn’t appear that car traveling is bumping back up. As a nation, we are driving about the same number of miles per year as we did 10 years ago.

The people who are driving the least also happen to be the youngest. Of the commuting trips taken between 2006 and 2013, car trips dropped 1.5 percent among 16- to 24-year-olds and 1.3 percent among 25- to 44-year-olds, the study says. True, that’s not a huge drop, but it reflects a steady trend of people choosing to use other modes of travel. This population is only going to grow. For people 45 and over, car commutes hardly dropped at all, at 0.5 percent.