Transport in the USA

The USA is a vast country with a rapidly growing population, exceeding 300 million in 2007. It has a low population density, though 81 per cent live in urban areas. It is the most affluent country amongst those included in the Transport Statistics database and has the largest economy in the world. It is also one of the most mobile and car dependent in the world, with an extensive system of motorways and high quality arterial roads. Because of its size, internal air transport is a major form of travel. Road safety is relatively good on a per vehicle-km basis, but poor on a per population basis.

The high level of car ownership in the USA has inevitably led to passenger travel being dominated by the car, even where journeys are short and land use is dense. This is very different to travel in European countries.

The information you see above is just a sample of what we have available in the Transport Statistics Database. Additional information can be accessed by using the Table & Graph Builder. Data about the USA can be found in the following data sets:

• General & Infrastructure
• Energy & Emissions
• Safety
• Traffic & Travel
• Vehicle Stock

• US Department of Transport - National Transportation Statistics 2007
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)
• US Department of Transport - National Household Travel Survey 2001
• NHTS Online Data Analysis
• United States Road Assessment Programme (usRAP)