EMBARGOED UNTIL: 12:01 A.M. EDT, OCTOBER 19, 1999 (TUESDAY) Public Information Office CB99-201 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-1037 (TDD) Kimberly P. Moore/John Miller Service Sector Statistics Division 301-457-2797 SUV Registrations Nearly Double in Five Years, Census Bureau Reports Registrations of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) nearly doubled between 1992 and 1997, according to data on trucks and vans released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. "Between 1992 and 1997 registrations for SUVs increased 93 percent," Kimberly P. Moore, a Census Bureau analyst, said. "And, if we look at historical data not in the latest report, SUV registrations have more than tripled since 1987." "Although SUVs were less than 20 percent of all truck registrations," Moore added, "they accounted for almost half of the increase in these registrations." The survey estimated a total of 13.8 million SUVs (19 percent of all registered trucks) in the United States in 1997, up from 7.1 million (12 percent of all trucks) in 1992. In addition, the number of minivans increased 61 percent (from 6.1 million to 9.8 million) and the number of pickups, 8 percent (from 33.7 million to 36.2 million) during the same period. Other highlights from the report, The 1997 Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS), include: - Total truck registrations in 1997 were estimated at 72.8 million, up 23 percent from 59.2 million in 1992. - Nationwide, there was approximately 1 registered pickup truck for every 5 licensed drivers and 1 SUV for every 13 licensed drivers. For pickups, Wyoming was the lead state, with 1 for every 2 licensed drivers; Colorado led in SUVs, with 1 for every 7 licensed drivers. - Trucks traveled an estimated 1 trillion miles in 1997, up 33 percent from 786.3 billion in 1992. - About 70 percent of all registered trucks were used for personal transportation, while 28 percent were operated for business, including for-hire use. - Approximately 7 percent of all large trucks carried hazardous materials at some time in 1997. - An estimated 6 percent of all trucks were leased in 1997, compared with 2 percent in 1992. - About 1 in 4 registered trucks (25 percent) were equipped with airbags: 26 percent of small trucks and 8 percent of large trucks. The U.S. summary, along with individual reports and fact sheets for each state and the District of Columbia, are accessible on the Internet. The national survey includes information on fuel efficiency, annual and lifetime mileage, model year, equipment accessories and other data for each kind of registered private and commercial truck. The 1997 VIUS will be available on CD-ROM by early 2000, with detailed data for each type of truck in the survey, as well as summary data for the United States and each state. The data are modified to avoid the possibility of identifying particular vehicles, households or establishments. The survey is conducted every five years as part of the Economic Census. Data are used by government agencies, business, industry, academia and the general public. The estimates from the VIUS are subject to sampling and nonsampling error. Sources of nonsampling error include errors of response, nonreporting and coverage. Measures of sampling variability, presented as relative standard errors, are shown in the tables in the report.
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