Driving Data

Los Angeles County residents average 2.5 hours a day in their cars. But California ranked 30th in the nation in miles traveled per driver per car in 1996. Even so, the state was No. 1 in motor-vehicle fuel tax receipts reaped last year. Although the number of vehicles registered in California has jumped by more than 6 million in the last 10 years, the number of cars sold has remained fairly steady at 1.5 million. California’s ranking among the 50 states in miles traveled per driver per vehicle, state motor-vehicle fuel taxes collected in 1996, and vehicles registered here since 1986:

Others Drive More. . .

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Annual Vehicles miles Rank State per driver in 1996 1 Wyoming 21,452 2 New Mexico 18,240 3 Mississippi 17,976 4 Georgia 17,947 5 Indiana 17,877 6 Kentucky 16,593 7 Montana 16,464 8 Oklahoma 16,457 9 Alabama 16,389 10 Missouri 16,313 30 California 13,731

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. . .but Californians Pay More. . .

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State motor-vehicle fuel taxes and related receipts* Rank State in 1996, in millions 1 California $2.64 2 Texas $2.32 3 Ohio $1.34 4 New York $1.33 5 Pennsylvania $1.31 6 Florida $1.30 7 Illinois $1.13 8 Michigan $0.752 9 Virginia $0.693 10 Washington $0.668

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*In some states, includes revenue from license and registration fees and additional sales and business taxes on gasoline and petroleum companies

. . .and Are Registering More Cars

(Vehicles registered in California in millions)

1996: 27 millions

Sources: California Department of Motor Vehicles; Federal Highway Administration; John Rettie, auto analyst

Researched by JENNIFER OLDHAM / Los Angeles Times