PORTRAIT OF "THE INTERSTATE MAN"

EVEN THOUGH ONLY 26,500 MILES OF THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, THE SYSTEM ALREADY CARRIES 20% OF ALL RURAL TRAFFIC AND 70% OF ALL TRAFFIC BETWEEN STATES. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE VIRTUALLY ACCIDENT-PROOF, A NEW TYPE OF DRIVER HAS DEVELOPED WITH POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS HABITS. MORE THAN 25,000 INTERSTATE DRIVERS HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWED, RESULTING IN A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT PROFILE. STATISTICS DEVELOPED ARE AS FOLLOWS: 51% WAIT UNTIL GAS TANK IS 1/4 FULL BEFORE STOPPING; 1 OUT OF 5 RUN OUT OF GAS; 81% PLAN THE DAY AS THEY GO; INTERSTATE MOTORIST AVERAGES 65 MPH, LOGS 11 HOURS PER DAY INCLUDING STOPS; AVERAGE INTERSTATE VACATIONIST DRIVES 2868 MILES OVER 15 DAYS; 41% LIST HIGHWAY SIGNS AS KEY INFORMATION SOURCE, 32% USE MAPS AND GUIDES; AVERAGE VACATIONING FAMILY OF 3.5 PERSONS SPENDS $22.00 PER DAY; AND ONLY ONE-THIRD MAKE ADVANCE RESERVATIONS. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 38, No 2, PP 23-24
• Corporate Authors:

  Low Bidder

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Dragonette, J J
• Publication Date: 1970-2

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Drivers; Gasoline; Maps; Reservations; Statistics; Time; Traffic signs
• Identifier Terms: Interstate Highway System
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00223223
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 29 1970 12:00AM