(Reuters) – U.S. motorists drove 262.4 billion vehicle miles in July, 33.2 billion vehicle miles fewer than the same month a year earlier, as government lockdowns to stop the spread of coronavirus kept drivers home, according to a monthly report from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
The biggest year-over-year declines were in the Northeast at 15.4% and the South Atlantic at 11.3%.
U.S. driving data is closely watched by oil market participants because gasoline consumption is a key driver of oil prices.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
