According to the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) National Household Travel Survey, U.S households with more than one vehicle are more likely to travel more but use additional vehicles less.
The difference in travel between households with just one vehicle and those with more than five is in the tens of thousands on average. The former tends to drive about 11,100 miles per year, while the latter travels around 41,800 miles per year, though primarily on one vehicle. Most of Americans fall in the former’s camp, though, with only about a third of households owning more than two vehicles.
For those households with five or more vehicles, travel tends to put about 18,600 miles on their most-used vehicle, but six-vehicle homes average about 6,700 miles per vehicle. Two-vehicle homes balance out vehicle use more than others, with an average per-vehicle travel of about 11,000 miles annually.
The report found that gas prices affect these numbers greater in the short term. Longer term trends tend to be linked more significantly to changes in vehicle miles traveled capabilities and fuel economy.
The report, based on data from 2017, marks the first time such figures have been tracked since 2009. The FHWA also admitted that these figures could differ in a year like this one, where gas prices are expected to rise significantly over the relatively low gas prices experienced in 2017.