Automakers Beginning to Worry About Drop in Driving

Automakers Beginning to Worry About Drop in Driving

The worlds automakers are beginning to worry that recent trends in telecommuting, job-sharing and other forms of part-time work in the U.S. are creating an environment in which personal vehicles are less crucial to being on the job. They are also concerned that persistent and newly elevated unemployment levels may also be exacerbating the situation as individuals are forced to find alternatives to the conventional American routine of driving to work every day. “We may not exactly be worried about Americans getting used to spending less time in their vehicles,” said a high level marketing executive for one of the automakers, “but it’s a potentially burgeoning macro-trend we’re watching closely.”

He also noted that in addition to increasing amounts of telecommuting, those who are employed also are able to stay more in “remote” touch with co-workers and clients via ever more sophisticated mobile devices and communication tools, mitigating the need for driving.

Miles traveled in 2009 by passenger and commercial vehicles on U.S. roads dropped to 2.93 trillion from 2.94 trillion in the same period in 2008, the Federal Highway Administration reported recently.

Americans commuting to work account for the bulk of driving activity. The unemployment rate currently is 10.5 percent, more than twice the 4.9 percent of late 2007.

The worry is that the expected slow decline in the unemployment rate and gyrating fuel prices may be accelerating a consumer shift toward getting by with less driving.