New Hankook Gauge Data: 77% of Americans Will Road Trip This Year

With summer travel well underway, Hankook Tire has released new data from its Gauge Index about how Americans are traveling. Though Hankook found that gas prices are impacting how frequently Americans are driving, the data reveals that most Americans (77%) expect to take a road trip between now and the end of the year – with 60% expecting to do so by the end of summer. Other key findings from the latest survey include:

Amid turbulence in air travel, Americans will hit the road. 71% say they will travel by car as their next vacation’s primary mode of transportation. In general, this is due to overall preference for automotive travel (42%) or seeking added flexibility (40%).
Travelers are packing positive attitudes. For those planning travel, Hankook found most (69%) feel excited or hopeful. Another 1 in 10 (11%) are determined to make it happen.
Many are looking to go the distance. A renewed appetite to return to travel has many mapping out longer routes. Of the half of Americans who have already taken a vacation this year, the Gauge found 35% took a trip which involved long-distance travel.

While how we use our vehicles for travel and daily driving continues to shift, one thing keeps a steady pace: the love we have for our cars and the feeling that being on the open road provides.

For 10+ years, the Hankook Tire Gauge Index has maintained a pulse on what drives us. This dashboard offers an ongoing look at driving behaviors and trends, and how the experience behind the wheel continues to steer us in new directions.

Updated: July 2022

After two years of peaks and valleys, daily driving seems to be on a consistently upward trend yet again. 60% of Americans say they’re driving every day — bringing us back to pre-pandemic levels.

While driving is back to pre-pandemic norms, high gas prices have some Americans rethinking how often they hit the road: this summer, 54% say they are driving less often due to the cost of gas, compared to 42% who said the same this spring. Other habits are increasing too, as more than double the number of people say they are carpooling more or have changed their tires to achieve maximum fuel efficiency.