Canadian Vehicle Survey

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Vehicles registered in Canada traveled an estimated 75.1 billion kilometres in the first quarter of 2007. This represented an increase of 5.6% over the same quarter of 2006. It is also the highest total for the first quarter ever recorded by the survey.

Light vehicles (weighing less than 4 500 kg) were driven an average of 3,621 kilometres for all of Canada. Among the provinces, drivers in Nova Scotia were the busiest, logging an average of 4,404 kilometres per vehicle, while drivers in Newfoundland and Labrador drove the least, with an average of 3,314 kilometres per vehicle.

The average number of kilometres driven for vehicles weighing at least 15 tonnes was 18,772 kilometres. Trucks from the Yukon drove the most, with an average of 31,377 kilometres. Among the provinces, trucks from Manitoba were busiest, with an average of 29,929 kilometres.

Within the provinces, cars, including station wagons, were driven an average of 3,159 kilometres during the quarter, while light trucks (minivans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks) were driven 4,224 kilometres. While there are fewer light trucks on the road, they are driven more intensively than cars.

Drivers of both cars and light trucks have typically driven fewer kilometers in the January to March period than in the other seasons of the year. However, this has not been the case for the past two years for light trucks, as drivers of these vehicles have used them more intensively in the winter than in the October to December period.

As has generally been the case, Monday was the busiest driving day for light vehicles, followed closely by Tuesday. Sunday is the slowest driving day of the week. For the heaviest vehicles on the road (weighing 15 tonnes or more), Wednesday was the busiest day of the week. As with light vehicles, Sunday is also the slowest day of the week for these vehicles.

The survey measures the activity of all on-road vehicles registered in Canada with the exception of some vehicles, including buses, motorcycles, construction equipment and road maintenance equipment.

Available on CANSIM: tables 405-0005 to 405-0020, 405-0026 to 405-0036, 405-0039 to 405-0042, 405-0044 to 405-0046, 405-0053 to 405-0054, 405-0099 and 405-0101 to 405-0110.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2749.

The January to March 2007 issue of Canadian Vehicle Survey: Quarterly (53F0004XWE, 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.