Passenger vehicles in the United States

This article adopts the U.S. Department of Transportation's definition of a passenger vehicle, to mean a car or truck, used for passengers, excluding buses, planes and trains.[citation needed] For those vehicles, see Transportation in the United States.
This article is about American vehicles. For other aspects of driving, see Driving in the United States.

Rush hour on the Harbor Freeway in downtown Los Angeles

Since 2009, the United States is home to the second largest passenger vehicle market of any country in the world, second to China.[1] Overall, there were an estimated 263.6 million registered vehicles in the United States in 2015, most of which were passenger vehicles.[2] This number, along with the average age of vehicles, has increased steadily since 1960. The United States is also home to three large vehicle manufacturers: General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Chrysler, which have historically been referred to as the "Big Three".

Cars became popular in the U.S. after the introduction of the Ford Model T in 1908, and experienced a further increase in popularity after the construction of the Interstate Highway System and the suburbanization of the United States in the 1950s. In the 21st century, large SUVs have become popular in the U.S., leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions[3] and pedestrian deaths.[4][5]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration writes and enforces the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

The United States is commonly regarded as a car-centric country, with cars being a dominant American mode of transport. U.S. infrastructure and road rules tend to privilege cars over other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. Cars have been a major component of American culture, particularly since the 1950s.[6][7]

  1. ^ "International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers – Sales Statistics". Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  2. ^ "Statistica". Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  3. ^ Cozzi, Laura; Petropoulos, Apostolos. "Growing preference for SUVs challenges emissions reductions in passenger car market". International Energy Agency. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  4. ^ Lawrence, Eric D.; Bomey, Nathan; Tanner, Kristi (July 1, 2018). "Death on foot: America's love of SUVs is killing pedestrians". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  5. ^ Gladwell, Malcolm (January 5, 2004). "Big and Bad". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on February 19, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  6. ^ Rosenthal, Elisabeth (June 29, 2013). "The End of Car Culture". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  7. ^ Humes, Edward (April 12, 2016). "The Absurd Primacy of the Automobile in American Life". The Atlantic. Retrieved October 30, 2021.