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Automobile Profile

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FINANCIAL

  1960 1970 1980 1990 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Personal auto expenditures, totala ($ millions) 40,486 74,590 211,463 380,092 445,146 465,166 497,891 523,128 532,547 576,729 632,052 634,727 (R) 625,669 (R) 650,256 698,920 774,407
New and used carsa,1 16,600 26,700 57,200 119,000 133,200 132,600 136,000 139,400 147,300 158,400 164,300 162,900 (R) 162,100 (R) 152,000 152,600 162,200
Tires, tubes, accessories, and parts1 2,500 6,100 17,900 29,900 36,000 37,800 40,300 41,900 43,900 47,000 49,000 49,100 (R) 50,300 (R) 52,000 54,400 58,700
Gasoline and oil1 12,000 21,900 86,700 111,200 116,200 120,200 130,400 134,400 122,400 137,900 175,700 171,600 (R) 164,500 (R) 192,700 230,400 280,200
Tolls1 300 700 1,100 2,300 3,400 3,700 4,000 4,400 4,400 4,800 5,100 5,100 (R) 5,300 (R) 5,500 5,700 6,000
Insurance premiums less claims paid1 2,000 3,800 9,400 23,500 32,800 34,500 36,700 37,800 40,400 43,200 43,000 44,600 45,800 (R) 49,200 53,700 58,100
Repair, greasing, washing, parking, storage, rental, and leasing1 5,500 12,300 34,000 84,900 112,500 125,500 138,700 152,900 161,100 172,600 183,500 189,100 186,000 (R) 186,800 189,500 195,600
Auto registration fees2 867 1,668 2,893 6,054 7,423 7,043 7,698 8,163 8,630 8,625 7,607 8,278 7,415 7,478 7,826 8,484
Driver's license fees2 119 222 370 638 823 823 893 865 917 904 745 849 954 1,078 1,194 1,223
Taxi expenditures ($ millions)1 600 1,200 1,900 2,600 2,800 3,000 3,200 3,300 3,500 3,300 3,100 3,200 (R) 3,300 (R) 3,500 3,600 3,900

INVENTORY

  1960 1970 1980 1990 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Number of vehicle registrations                                
Passenger car3 61,671,390 89,243,557 121,600,843 133,700,496 127,883,469 128,386,775 129,728,341 129,748,704 131,838,538 132,432,044 133,621,420 137,633,467 135,920,677 135,669,897 136,430,651 136,568,083
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle3 e 14,210,591 27,875,934 48,274,555 62,903,589 65,738,322 68,933,798 70,224,082 71,330,205 75,356,376 79,084,979 84,187,636 85,011,305 (R) 87,186,663 91,845,327 95,336,839
Motorcycle4 574,032 2,824,098 5,693,940 4,259,462 3,756,555 3,897,191 3,871,237 3,826,373 3,879,450 4,152,433 4,346,068 4,903,056 5,004,156 5,370,035 5,767,934 6,227,146
Motor vehicle licensed drivers5 87,252,563 111,542,787 145,295,036 167,015,250 175,403,465 176,628,482 179,539,340 182,709,204 184,860,969 187,170,420 190,625,023 191,275,719 194,295,633 196,165,667 198,888,912 200,665,267
Number of employees6 (based on SIC)                                
Taxicabs 120,700 106,400 52,500 32,400 30,800 30,700 30,500 30,600 31,200 31,600 31,900 31,800 30,800 N N N
Automotive dealers and service stations 1,267,200 1,617,400 1,688,500 2,063,100 2,116,200 2,189,600 2,266,700 2,310,800 2,332,300 2,368,100 2,409,600 2,424,800 2,432,200 N N N
Motor vehicles, parts, and supplies N N 434,300 456,000 471,400 492,100 502,800 513,000 516,600 523,700 516,800 502,100 498,000 N N N
Auto repair, services, and parking N N 570,900 913,700 968,300 1,020,100 1,080,000 1,119,600 1,145,200 1,196,400 1,234,200 1,257,200 1,263,200 N N N
Number of employees7 (based on NAICS)                                
Taxi service N N N 33,600 31,600 31,600 31,400 31,600 32,300 32,700 33,100 33,100 31,800 (R) 31,400 30,600 29,800
Wholesale motor vehicles and parts N N N 309,400 319,900 334,600 342,500 350,200 353,600 359,500 355,700 347,300 345,600 (R) 342,100 340,700 344,200
Retail motor vehicle and parts dealers N N N 1,494,400 1,564,700 1,627,100 1,685,600 1,723,400 1,740,900 1,796,600 1,846,900 1,854,600 1,879,400 (R) 1,882,900 1,902,300 1,918,900
Gasoline stations N N N 910,200 902,300 922,300 946,400 956,200 961,300 943,500 935,700 925,300 895,900 (R) 882,000 875,600 871,300
Parking lots and garages N N N 67,600 71,100 74,800 78,400 81,800 84,700 88,900 92,800 95,500 95,900 (R) 99,600 101,800 104,000
Automotive repair and maintenance N N N 659,400 701,300 737,900 781,400 810,500 828,300 864,200 888,100 903,900 899,600 (R) 894,200 890,600 887,500

PERFORMANCE

  1960 1970 1980 1990 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Vehicle-miles, total (millions) 587,012 1,042,965 1,412,745 1,992,394 2,276,276 2,238,120 2,294,703 2,363,376 2,428,135 2,480,706 2,533,815 2,581,178 2,634,060 (R) 2,665,750 2,737,176 2,760,325
Passenger car, totala, 8 587,012 919,679 1,121,810 1,417,823 1,501,402 1,438,294 1,468,854 1,502,556 1,549,577 1,569,100 1,600,287 1,628,332 1,658,474 (R) 1,672,079 1,699,890 1,689,965
Rural highway, total 313,623 424,088 450,659 547,910 526,764 523,834 535,951 551,080 574,979 584,765 593,391 604,677 608,939 (R) 580,059 564,509 539,070
Rural interstate N 62,342 89,488 117,519 119,535 114,933 119,268 120,045 127,335 130,856 134,466 135,966 138,819 (R) 132,101 129,415 122,470
Rural other arterial 233,452 182,213 180,857 211,066 212,418 210,553 216,074 220,180 228,847 231,117 234,743 236,337 238,009 (R) 225,437 217,495 208,127
Other rural roads 80,171 179,533 180,314 219,325 194,810 198,348 200,609 210,855 218,797 222,792 224,182 232,374 232,111 (R) 222,522 217,599 208,472
Urban highway, totalb 273,389 495,591 671,151 869,912 974,638 914,460 932,903 951,476 974,598 984,335 1,006,896 1,023,655 1,049,535 (R) 1,092,020 1,135,381 1,150,895
Urban interstate N 69,369 124,480 184,783 217,174 204,035 210,302 214,016 220,487 224,132 230,510 236,983 243,521 (R) 251,904 258,666 259,602
Other urban N 426,222 546,671 685,129 757,465 710,425 722,601 737,460 754,111 760,203 776,386 786,672 806,014 (R) 840,117 876,715 891,293
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle, total9 e 123,286 290,935 574,571 764,634 790,029 815,936 850,739 868,275 901,022 923,059 943,207 966,034 (R) 984,094 1,027,164 1,059,590
Rural highway, total e 73,591 149,560 227,831 285,325 295,472 306,891 327,316 334,806 351,658 360,355 374,736 384,185 (R) 372,891 374,515 370,127
Rural interstate e 6,766 19,952 46,298 60,849 63,329 65,779 69,030 72,343 76,190 79,088 82,356 85,132 (R) 82,513 83,181 82,208
Rural other arterial e 29,808 56,137 87,474 113,595 118,305 122,211 129,890 132,043 138,475 141,257 146,525 150,758 (R) 148,100 148,802 148,310
Other rural roads e 37,017 73,471 94,059 110,881 113,838 118,901 128,396 130,420 136,993 140,010 145,855 148,295 (R) 142,278 142,532 139,609
Urban highway, totalb e 49,695 141,375 346,739 479,308 494,557 509,045 523,423 533,469 549,364 562,704 568,471 581,849 (R) 611,203 652,649 689,463
Urban interstate e 6,252 23,067 71,500 105,317 109,807 112,908 116,680 121,700 124,399 128,291 127,989 130,174 (R) 142,472 155,714 166,144
Other urban e 43,443 118,308 275,239 373,991 384,750 396,136 406,743 411,769 424,965 434,413 440,482 451,675 (R) 468,731 496,935 523,319
Motorcycle, totala, 8 f f f f 10,240 9,797 9,913 10,081 10,283 10,584 10,469 9,639 9,552 (R) 9,577 10,122 10,770
Rural highway, total f f f f 4,402 4,098 4,070 4,147 4,279 4,448 4,507 4,383 4,445 (R) 4,289 4,381 4,467
Rural interstate f f f f 1,279 1,058 1,056 1,050 1,112 1,100 1,164 1,121 1,212 (R) 1,279 1,354 1,433
Rural other arterial f f f f 1,698 1,510 1,500 1,552 1,588 1,662 1,680 1,649 1,623 (R) 1,472 1,435 1,411
Other rural roads f f f f 1,425 1,530 1,513 1,545 1,579 1,686 1,663 1,613 1,610 (R) 1,538 1,593 1,624
Urban highway, totalb f f f f 5,838 5,699 5,843 5,934 6,004 6,136 5,962 5,256 5,107 (R) 5,288 5,741 6,302
Urban interstate f f f f 1,420 1,454 1,516 1,509 1,579 1,690 1,692 1,546 1,670 (R) 1,962 2,089 2,296
Other urban f f f f 4,418 4,245 4,327 4,425 4,425 4,446 4,270 3,710 3,437 (R) 3,326 3,652 4,006
Passenger-miles, total (millions)3 1,145,000 1,979,787 2,545,020 3,037,244 3,623,364 3,553,810 3,643,719 3,752,829 3,855,696 3,939,137 4,023,637 4,247,094 4,307,312 (R) 4,360,151 4,479,453 4,520,810
Passenger cars (a,c) 1,145,000 (a.c) 1,754,174 (a,c) 2,024,246 (c) 2,140,913 (c) 2,600,050 2,286,887 2,335,478 2,389,065 2,463,828 2,494,870 2,544,457 2,556,481 2,620,389 (R) 2,641,885 2,685,827 2,670,145
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle e 225,613 520,774 896,331 1,012,050 1,256,146 1,297,337 1,352,675 1,380,557 1,432,625 1,467,664 1,678,853 1,674,792 (R) 1,706,103 1,780,771 1,836,988
Motorcycle f f f f 11,264 10,777 10,904 11,089 11,311 11,642 11,516 11,760 12,131 (R) 12,163 12,855 13,677
Average miles traveled per vehicle3                                
Passenger car (c) 9,518 (c) 9,989 (c) 8,813 (c) 10,277 (c) 10,759 11,203 11,323 11,581 11,754 11,848 11,976 11,831 12,202 (R) 12,325 12,460 12,375
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle e 8,676 10,437 11,902 12,156 12,018 11,837 12,115 12,173 11,957 11,672 11,204 11,364 (R) 11,287 11,184 11,114
Motorcycle f f f f 2,726 2,514 2,561 2,635 2,651 2,549 2,409 1,966 1,909 (R) 1,783 1,755 1,729
Fuel consumed (million gallons)3                                
Passenger cars (c) 41,171 (c) 67,879 (c) 70,186 (c) 69,759 (c) 68,079 68,072 68,897 69,892 71,695 73,283 73,065 73,559 75,471 (R) 75,455 75,402 73,870
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle e 12,313 23,796 35,611 44,112 45,605 47,133 49,388 50,462 52,859 52,939 53,522 55,220 (R) 60,758 63,417 65,419
Motorcycle f f f f 205 196 198 202 206 212 209 193 191 (R) 192 202 215
Average fuel consumption per vehicle (gallons)3                                
Passenger cars (c) 668 (c) 737 (c) 551 (c) 506 (c) 517 530 531 539 544 553 547 534 555 (R) 556 553 541
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle e 866 854 738 701 694 684 703 707 701 669 636 650 (R) 697 690 686
Motorcycle f f f f 55 50 51 53 53 51 48 39 38 36 35 35
Average miles traveled per gallon of fuel consumed3                                
Passenger cars (c) 14 (c) 14 (c) 16.0 (c) 20.3 (c) 21 21.1 21.3 21.5 21.6 21.4 21.9 22.1 22.0 (R) 22.2 22.5 22.9
Other 2-axle 4-tire vehicle e 10.0 12.2 16.1 17.3 17.3 17.3 17.2 17.2 17.0 17.4 17.6 17.5 (R) 16.2 16.2 16.2
Motorcycle f f f f 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50

SAFETY10

  1960 1970 1980 1990 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Number of occupants and nonoccupant fatalities                                
Passenger car N N 27,449 24,092 21,997 22,423 22,505 22,199 21,194 20,862 20,699 20,320 20,569 (R) 19,725 19,192 18,440
Motorcycle 790 2,280 5,144 3,244 2,320 2,227 2,161 2,116 2,294 2,483 2,897 3,197 3,270 (R) 3,714 4,028 4,553
Light Truck N N 7,486 8,601 8,904 9,568 9,932 10,249 10,705 11,265 11,526 11,723 12,274 (R) 12,546 12,674 12,975
Bicycled 490 760 965 859 802 833 765 814 760 754 693 732 665 (R) 629 727 784
Pedestriand 7,210 8,950 8,070 6,482 5,489 5,584 5,449 5,321 5,228 4,939 4,763 4,901 4,851 (R) 4,774 4,675 4,881
Occupant fatality rates                                
Per 100 million vehicle-miles                                
Passenger car 4.7 3.8 2.5 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 (R) 1.2 1.2 1.1
Light Truck N N 2.5 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 (R) 1.2 1.2 1.1
Motorcycle N 76.5 50.4 33.9 22.7 22.7 21.8 21.0 22.3 23.5 27.7 33.2 34.2 (R) 38.8 39.8 42.3
Per 10,000 registered vehicles                                
Passenger car 5.1 3.9 2.6 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 (R) 1.5 1.4 1.4
Light Truck N N 2.5 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 (R) 1.5 1.4 1.4
Motorcycle 13.8 8.1 9.0 7.6 6.2 5.7 5.6 5.5 5.9 6.0 6.7 6.5 6.5 (R) 6.9 7.0 7.3
Vehicle involvement rate (fatal crashes)                                
Per 100 million vehicle-miles                                
Passenger car N 5.6 3.5 2.4 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.7 (R) 1.7 1.6 1.6
Light Truck N N 4.3 2.8 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1 (R) 2.1 2.1 2.0
Motorcycle N 22.9 50.9 34.3 22.8 23.2 21.9 21.4 22.7 23.9 28.4 33.9 35.2 (R) 39.7 40.7 43.2
Per 10,000 registered vehicles                                
Passenger car N 5.6 3.7 2.8 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1 (R) 2.0 1.9 1.9
Light Truck N N 4.2 3.1 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6 (R) 2.6 2.5 2.4
Motorcycle N 8.2 9.1 7.7 6.2 5.8 5.6 5.6 6.0 6.1 6.8 6.7 6.7 (R) 7.1 7.1 7.5

KEY: N = data do not exist; R = revised.

NOTES

a Figures obtained by addition / subtraction and may not appear directly in data source.

b Urban consists of travel on all roads and streets in urban places of 5,000 or greater population.

c Includes motorcycle data.

d Involvement only with motor vehicle.

e Included in single-unit 2-axle 6-tire or more truck category.

f Included in passenger cars.

SOURCES

Unless otherwise noted, refer to chapter tables for sources.

1 U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts Tables, table 2.5.5 available at http://www.bea.gov/bea/dn/nipaweb/SelectTable.asp as of January 2007.

2 1960-95: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table MV-202. 1996-2005: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table MV-2 (revised tables used when applicable).

3 1960-94: Ibid., Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table VM-201A, table revised in June 1999. 1995-2005: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1 (revised tables used when applicable).

4 1960-94: Ibid., Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table MV-201. 1995-2005: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1 (revised tables used when applicable).

5 1960-95: Ibid., Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-Pl-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table DL-201. 1996-2005: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table DL-22 (revised tables used when applicable).

6 1960-2002: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS Database, Internet site http://www.bls.gov/data/sa.htm as of April 2004; codes "414120 Taxicabs," "605500 Automotive Dealers and Service Stations," "525010 Motor Vehicle Parts, and Supplies" and "807500 Auto Repair, Services, and Parking."

7 1990-2005: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS Database, Internet site http://www.bls.gov/data/sa.htm as of January 2007; codes "48531 Taxi service," "4231 Wholesale motor vehicles and parts," "441 Retail motor vehicle and parts dealers," "447 Gasoline stations," "81293 Parking lots and garages," "8111 Automotive repair and maintenance."

8 1960-90: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table VM-201. 1994-2005: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1 (revised tables used when applicable).

9 1970-94: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics Summary to 1995, FHWA-PL-97-009 (Washington, DC: July 1997), table VM-201. 1995-2005: Ibid., Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: Annual issues), table VM-1 (revised tables used when applicable).

10 U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Traffic Safety Facts 2003, DOT HS 810 631, (Washington, DC: January 2006), tables 3, 4, 7, 8, and 10.
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