Nationwide Personal Transportation Study: Characteristics of Licensed Drivers

Gish, Robert E. · 1973 · ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (full text — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This report, part of the Nationwide Personal Transportation Study, analyzes the characteristics of licensed motor vehicle drivers in the United States as of 1970. The study was conducted to provide data essential for analyzing accident exposures, developing highway safety programs, and supporting social, economic, and market forecasts. The research examines driver demographics across three primary parameters: geographic distribution by place of residence, population distribution by age and sex, and travel distribution based on estimated annual miles driven. The data were collected between 1969 and 1970 by the Bureau of the Census for the Federal Highway Administration. The survey utilized a multi-stage probability sample of housing units across 235 sample areas, representing 485 counties and independent cities in every state and the District of Columbia. These areas were stratified by socio-economic characteristics. Data were gathered through two outgoing panels of the Quarterly Housing Survey, involving interviews in April, July, and October 1969, and January 1970, with a second panel interviewed once in August 1969. The analysis is based on the 1970 census population figures, including Armed Forces members living off-post or with families on-post. Key findings indicate that 73.6% of the population aged 16 and older held driver licenses. Significant disparities existed by sex and location: 87.0% of males and 61.5% of females were licensed. License ownership was highest in unincorporated areas (79.2%) and declined as population size increased, dropping to 48.8% in cities with over one million residents. Demographically, males comprised 56.3% of licensed drivers, while the 20–24 age group represented the largest segment of drivers (13.1%). Regarding travel, males drove 73% of all annual miles, averaging 11,352 miles per year compared to 5,411 miles for females. Peak driving mileage for males occurred in the 30–34 age group, while females peaked in the 45–49 group. The study noted that survey estimates of total miles driven were approximately 19.7% lower than official highway statistics, likely due to underreporting by high-mileage drivers and the exclusion of non-licensed drivers. The report highlights a significant historical shift in driving patterns, noting that the proportion of licensed females increased by 22.3% between 1951–1956 and 1970, whereas male licensing increased by only 8.7%. The findings underscore that while men drove more miles at all age levels, the gap in license retention and mileage was narrowing among younger cohorts. These data provide a foundational baseline for understanding national travel patterns, informing highway safety initiatives, and projecting future transportation needs.

Key finding

Male licensed drivers averaged 11,352 miles annually, which is more than double the 5,411 miles averaged by female licensed drivers.

Methodology

survey

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• sex gender
• older drivers
• exposure measurement
• generational effects

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence
• Methodological Resource: dataset resource