Americans spend an additional 20 minutes driving each week compared to 2014, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Drivers travel more than 220 miles per week; that’s an average of 11,498 miles per year. Over the course of the year, Americans collectively spent 70 billion hours behind the wheel, an eight percent increase since 2014.

“The more time drivers spend behind the wheel, the greater their exposure to risks on the roadway,” said Dr. David Yang, Executive Director for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Longer time behind the wheel could lead to issues such as fatigue, distraction, and impatience for drivers, which are all contributing factors for vehicle crashes. Drivers need to stay alert and focused on the key task at hand, driving. This can save your life and the lives of your passengers and people with whom you share the road.”

According to the AAA Foundation’s American Driving Survey, US drivers, on average, spend nearly one hour behind the wheel each day and travel 31.5 miles, a five percent increase from 2014.

Other key findings:

  • Men spend 19 percent more time behind the wheel and drive 27 percent more miles than women.
  • People who are married or living with a partner spend at least 12 percent more time driving than those who are not.
  • Drivers aged 75+ are spending, on average, eight minutes a day driving, an increase of 23 percent from 2014.

View the full report.