"The automobile is said to be one of the most important modern inventions. From the early years of engineering in the late 1800s to today’s hybrids and future green machines, the car has gone through a number of face lifts and technological achievements, and consumers have continued to embrace the changing industry by buying more vehicles and hitting the roads increasingly each year."
Well, apparently not as of late. According to new studies by the Department of Transportation, Americans are driving less and perhaps exploring new attitudes regarding their cars. Statistics show that Americans drove 7 billion fewer miles in January 2009 than the year prior. (Maybe the slight decrease in traffic on the supercongested freeways of Southern California we perceive is real after all?) Since late 2007, the number of miles driven has continued to decline each month compared to the year prior.
The full scoop