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Canadian Vehicle Survey
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Canadians drove their vehicles less in 2008 compared with the previous year. This was the first annual decrease since 2004.
Faced with rising consumer fuel prices throughout most of the year, Canadians shifted much of their driving to more fuel-efficient, smaller body styles such as cars and station wagons. While the smaller styles saw an increase of 6.7% in 2008 compared with the previous year, driving was down 10.1% for larger body styles (vans, sport utility vehicles and pickups).
The number of vehicles on the road for these two styles of vehicle also moved in opposite directions in 2008, and while the average distance travelled per vehicle for the small styles was up slightly in 2008 compared with the previous year, it declined by 9.0% for the larger styles.
Available on CANSIM: tables 405-0055 to 405-0070, 405-0072 to 405-0086, 405-0088 to 405-0090, 405-0097, 405-0098, 405-0100 and 405-0111 to 405-0120.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2749.
The publication Canadian Vehicle Survey: Annual, 2008 (53-223-X, free), is now available from the Publications module of our website.
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Réjean Doiron (613-951-5680; rejean.doiron@statcan.gc.ca) or Client Services (toll-free 1-866-500-8400; transportationstatistics@statcan.gc.ca), Transportation Division.
Table 1
| 2008 | 2007 to 2008 | 2008 | 2007 to 2008 | 2008 | 2007 to 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles | Total distance travelled | Average distance travelled per vehicle | ||||
| number | % change | millions of kilometres | % change | kilometres | % change | |
| Total, all vehicles | 20,166,421 | 2.3 | 325,611 | -2.0 | 16,146 | -4.2 |
| Vehicles weighing less than 4.5 metric tonnes | 19,426,504 | 2.2 | 294,361 | -1.9 | 15,153 | -4.1 |
| Cars and station wagons | 10,986,266 | 5.1 | 158,293 | 6.7 | 14,408 | 1.5 |
| Vans, sport utility vehicles and pickups | 8,379,580 | -1.3 | 135,217 | -10.1 | 16,136 | -9.0 |
| Trucks 4.5 metric tonnes and over | 739,917 | 4.6 | 31,250 | -2.6 | 30,860 | -6.8 |
