Though, interestingly, the older generations, especially in rural areas, talk about driving as an event. Back in the day they would carefully plan trips into town once a week to gather supplies and run other errands. These days, nobody thinks twice about hopping into the car every single day of the week. The average number of miles per driver driven per year has certainly trended upward over the years.

The total costs may be as much as ever, but the consumption is also higher. The productivity gains have been realized by moving your butt further and more often.