Statistics Canada
www.statcan.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
Canadian Vehicle Survey
Archived Content
Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.
Canadians drove less during the first quarter of 2009 compared with the same quarter last year. This follows two consecutive quarters when Canadians drove their vehicles more than in the comparable period in the previous year. In the first quarter, Canadian vehicles were driven 70.8 billion kilometres, down 2.7% from the same time last year.
The number of vehicles on the road increased 1.3% in the first quarter of 2009. This means that the average vehicle was driven 4.0% less than in the same quarter in the previous year.
Within the light vehicles (weighing less than 4.5 metric tonnes), the number of smaller styles such as cars and station wagons on the road increased by 5.4% while the number of larger styles such as vans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks decreased by 3.5% compared with the previous year.
The use of these two styles showed the opposite trends. For the first time since the fourth quarter of 2007, larger style light vehicles (vans, sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks) were driven more during the first quarter of 2009 compared with the same quarter the previous year. Driving in smaller styles such as cars and station wagons, however, was down compared with the previous year for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2007. Gasoline prices eased considerably in late 2008 and early 2009 from the highs of mid-2008.
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, 405-0054, 405-0099 and 405-0101 to 405-0110.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2749.
The January to March 2009 issue of Canadian Vehicle Survey: Quarterly (53F0004X, 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
| First quarter 2009 | First quarter 2008 to first quarter 2009 | First quarter 2009 | First quarter 2008 to first quarter 2009 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles | Total distance travelled | |||
| number | % change | millions of kilometres | % change | |
| Total, all vehicles | 20,117,512 | 1.3 | 70,801 | -2.7 |
| Vehicles weighing less than 4.5 metric tonnes | 19,398,120 | 1.2 | 64,246 | -1.6 |
| Cars and station wagons | 11,133,287 | 5.4 | 34,506 | -3.3 |
| Vans, sport utility vehicles and pickups | 8,235,600 | -3.5 | 29,687 | 0.9 |
| Trucks 4.5 metric tonnes and over | 719,393 | 5.0 | 6,555 | -12.5 |
