Skip to main content

Noticed less congested roads lately? You can thank apps for that

While we automotive journalists report on green cars and alternative fuels, we rarely mention that the greenest option of all is simply leaving the car at home. This is hugely distasteful for us. So you’ll just have to understand why we omit this fact.

Turns out, though, people are foregoing the freeway and smartphones are blame – or thank – depending on your outlook.

Recommended Videos

A new study suggests that Americans are driving less now than at any point since 1996. The study by the US Public Interest Research Group looked at the connection between the rise of various apps for ride sharing, and other alternative forms of transportation, and the decline in people – particularly young people – driving.

Let’s start with the bad news. If this study is true, hipsters will be more smug and insufferable than ever. The good news: it looks like we won’t be sharing the road with them for long.

Apparently Americans between the age of 16 and 34 are driving almost a quarter less than they did at the beginning of the millennium.

Increased connectivity and, in particular, the advent of smart phones, have made it much easier both to take advantage of public transportation or to plan trips on short notice that use car sharing or other similar alternatives.

As someone who spent a fair part of his teenage years taking the bus, I can say that I would have loved the trip planning functions that currently go unused on my iPhone. Being able to simply enter an address is literally years ahead of having to sort through a stack of poorly printed bus schedules and route maps.

The study draws similar conclusions about the proliferation of ride and car sharing apps. These programs make it possible to reserve and find cars quickly. And in the case of ride sharing, not only can you find someone going to your destination quickly but you can see, based on reviews, how polite of a serial killer they are.

It’s not just ease of use either. As Wifi and cellular have become ubiquitous, it is now possible to work during your commute. Despite some heroic and wildly unsafe efforts to use laptops and phones on the highway, it’s much easier to work from the seat of a train.

If the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s study is to be believed, then this shift in transportation is good for everyone. Some people can avoid the expense and complication of car ownership, while others get to enjoy less conjected roads and polar bears won’t have to invest in sunscreen. 

Peter Braun
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Peter is a freelance contributor to Digital Trends and almost a lawyer. He has loved thinking, writing and talking about cars…
Topics
Cheaper EVs ahead? GM and LG say new battery cells are the key
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV front quarter view.

General Motors and LG Energy Solution have announced a new phase in their ongoing partnership: developing a new battery cell chemistry that could significantly lower the cost of electric vehicles. The joint effort centers on lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) battery cells, a variation of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) that’s gaining popularity for being more affordable and less reliant on expensive materials like nickel and cobalt.

This is a big deal because battery costs are still the single largest expense in producing EVs. According to GM and industry experts, LMFP cells could help bring the cost of electric vehicles close to — or even on par with — gas-powered cars. The goal? Making EVs accessible to a broader range of drivers without sacrificing range or performance.

Read more
Waymo recalled 1,200 robotaxis following collisions with road barriers
Waymo Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo’s autonomous-car technology has made great advances over the years to the point where it’s now allowed to offer paid robotaxi rides in select locations in the U.S.

But the development of the technology is ongoing, and the robotaxi rides continue to gather valuable data for Waymo engineers to pore over as they further refine the driverless system to make it as reliable and efficient as possible. Which is why glitches will sometimes occur.

Read more
Apple CarPlay Ultra looks stunning in Aston Martin supercar debut
Apple CarPlay Ultra

Apple CarPlay Ultra is the next generation of the Cupertino, California-based firm's smartphone projection system for your car, and it's available in new vehicles in the US and Canada.

When we say "new cars", your options are very much limited to one brand... Aston Martin. So you'll need deep pockets if you want to experience CarPlay Ultra for yourself.

Read more