Changes in Vehicle Miles of Travel Often Mirror Gasoline Price Changes

The price of gasoline can often mirror the number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The graph below shows a three-month moving average of the percentage change of monthly data from one year to the next (i.e., January 2008 data were compared with January 2007 data). Still, the price of gasoline is just one of the many factors influencing vehicle travel. Other factors include demographics, economic growth, transportation mode shifts, driver licensing rates, vehicle population, and infrastructure capacity.