STUDY: Majority of Commuters Say They Will Only Feel Safe in Single-Occupancy Vehicles for the Next 10 Years

The hybrid work model is reshaping commuting patterns, with single-occupancy vehicles remaining a top choice. This shift affects road congestion and public transit ridership, which is recovering. Safety, cleanliness, and service frequency are now crucial for commuters.

While single-occupancy vehicles have always been a popular choice for many commuters, the post-pandemic landscape looks different than it did in 2020: hybrid work now keeps roughly a quarter to a third of paid workdays at home, road congestion has broadly rebounded (and in many cities exceeded 2019 levels), and public transit ridership has recovered to about four-fifths of pre-COVID on average, with bus leading rail. Many people still favor the perceived reliability and control of driving, while safety, cleanliness, and service frequency continue to shape when and how riders use transit—often with stronger Tuesday–Thursday peaks and lighter Mondays/Fridays.

In order to get a sense of how people will feel the safest commuting in the next decade, recent U.S. data point to a durable hybrid norm: roughly 27%–30% of paid workdays are done from home, office occupancy averages about half of 2019 with midweek peaks, and commuters prioritize flexibility, reliability, and safety. These factors help explain why driving alone remains dominant for many trips, even as transit and rideshare have regained ground.

Survey Findings:

• Driving alone remains the dominant U.S. commute mode and car occupancy for commuting is near one person per vehicle (~1.1), reflecting the persistence of single-occupancy trips.
• Safety and security perceptions matter: daytime feels safer than after dark, with women reporting lower feelings of safety; visible staff, cleanliness, and reliable frequency increase willingness to ride.
• Rideshare services are widely used for certain trips and times, with platforms reintroducing pooled options and adding safety features (e.g., Women+ matching, optional audio recording); prices remain above 2019 levels even as service quality improves.

COVID-19’s Impact on Commuting

The early-pandemic focus on distancing has given way to concerns about reliability, cleanliness, and personal security. National public transit ridership has rebounded to roughly 80% of 2019 levels on average, with bus generally recovering faster than rail and weekend and off-peak trips often leading weekdays. Commuter rail remains the laggard in many regions as hybrid schedules concentrate commuting into fewer midweek days.

While surveying a batch of U.S. commuters, their preference was clear for at least the next decade: flexibility first. Many remote-capable employees commute two to three days per week and choose the fastest, most reliable option on those days—often driving where parking is easy, or frequent transit where it competes on door-to-door time.

Of the people the research team spoke with regarding this perception, the most common response today centers on safety and reliability: concerns about harassment or disorder (especially at night) and long waits drive some riders to avoid certain times or routes, while visible staff and dependable frequency make trips feel safer.

“I feel much safer riding when there are staff or ambassadors around and trains come frequently — long waits at night are what make me uneasy.”

“Even as incident rates improve, I still avoid late-night trips when platforms are quiet; daytime feels fine.”

It’s worth mentioning how increases in single occupancy increase several troubling metrics including traffic, pollution, and car accidents, to name a few. Transportation remains the largest U.S. greenhouse-gas sector, light-duty vehicles are the biggest contributor within it, congestion in major metros increased again in 2024, and while traffic fatalities have edged down from pandemic-era peaks, they remain higher than in 2019.

In November 2020, The Reviews.com research team found that many drivers felt overwhelmed while returning to a more normal driving schedule. Earlier Reviews.com research captured that moment; since then, independent traffic analytics show many large metros surpassing 2019 congestion levels by 2023–2024, with pronounced midweek peaks.

Survey Methodology

• This update synthesizes multiple 2024–2025 data sources (e.g., WFH Research, Gallup, APTA ridership dashboards, Kastle Systems office occupancy, INRIX congestion, MTI safety perception, BLS pricing, and platform/agency reports).
• Figures reflect U.S. national or multi-city trends; conditions vary by region, mode, time of day, and employer policies (with common Tuesday–Thursday peaks and lighter Mondays/Fridays).
• Historical context: Reviews.com previously surveyed 1,221 U.S. residents online (Mar 10–16, 2021). Current statistics and sources cited here supersede early-pandemic perceptions where noted.