BUSINESS

Surprising Facts About Car Ownership in the U.S.

Cars are some of the most important things we own. They can take us from point A to point B in a matter of minutes or hours. Without cars, we wouldn’t be able to explore the country or even the world. Our vehicles also make it easy to get our routines done, such as grocery shopping, daily commutes to work, and doctor appointments.

Here are some surprising facts about car ownership in the U.S.

The average annual miles driven is beyond calculation.

In the U.S., almost everyone has a car. As a matter of fact, most homeowners, no matter the gender, have one or two cars sitting in their garages or driveways. A lot of families own several cars as each member needs to commute in different directions for work or school. The average miles driven per year in the nation is roughly 13,500 miles, most of which are driven by male drivers.

Millions of people own cars.

That being said, it’s important to know that millions of cars are responsible for such a high average of miles driven each year. To be exact, more than 277 million people are car owners in the United States. Being aware of this can help you become more aware of your driving habits and even help improve them.

The average car owner spends $400 a year on maintenance.

Car Ownership

If there are so many people driving so many cars in the U.S., then you can imagine just how much money goes into maintaining all of them every year. The average car owner in the U.S. spends around $400 every year on maintenance. This can include anything like changing oil, replacing the air filter, checking coolant levels, and checking tire pressure.

On the other hand, $60 billion remains unspent on maintenance.

When looking at the flip side of the coin, we can learn that over $60 billion is left unspent on maintenance. This can mean that over 150,000 people fail to regularly maintain their cars. The contrast between $400 and $60 billion a year is exaggerated and should be highly influential over how we keep our cars in top conditions.

Fuel costs an average of 15 cents per mile.

Car Ownership

Moreover, if so many cars are on the road, that must mean that a ton of fuel is being used each year—possibly each month. In the United States, fuel prices fluctuate on a daily basis, but the average price of gasoline seems to be at 15 cents per mile, which equals about 23 miles per gallon. If this is the average mileage in the U.S., imagine what it’s like on a worldwide scale.

Cars are the most recycled product.

Although many cars are sold each day, cars remain the top recycled product in the country. This is because many people prefer buying a used car over a new car to save on monthly payments. A lot of people also take advantage of old, damaged cars and sell them for scraps, raking up a couple of hundred or even thousands of dollars from a single junked car. Likewise, a lot of people prefer buying used tires, which can be a lot cheaper, rather than buying from their car manufacturer or dealership.

This is important to keep in mind because it can help us save a lot of money on replacement parts or repairs that could cost thousands of dollars. The used market is never going to go away, and as more people buy more cars, more used pieces will be available for everyone’s benefit.

These facts will help you understand the impact of cars in the U.S. and inspire you to make better choices as a car owner.