Daily mileage rose by 2.7 percent, and for the month, travel fell by 1.9 billion miles, or 0.9 percent, to 215.8 billion from February 2008. The year-earlier period had one extra day because it was a leap year.
The increase bucks a stretch of declines brought on by gasoline prices that climbed to a record in July and a slowing economy that pinched leisure travel and commuting. While fuel costs have fallen, it’s too early to say whether daily driving will continue rising, said Doug Hecox, a Federal Highway Administration spokesman.
The average U.S. price for a gallon of gasoline in February was $1.92, according to AAA, the country’s largest motorist group. That was a 53 percent drop from the $4.11 record high in July.