The politics of pandemic driving

A brief new study makes the case that Democrats are curtailing their travel more than Republicans during the pandemic.

Why it matters: Transportation analyst Michael Sivak's report provides another window into the forces that have caused a steep drop in oil demand during the crisis.

• It's also another indication of how political leanings are affecting behavior, a topic probably most discussed with respect to mask-wearing.

How it works: Sivak overlaid Federal Highway Administration data with Cook Political Report analysis of states' political leanings in the upcoming presidential election.

The intrigue: The short analysis published in Green Car Congress argues that while the data show the decline in driving on urban roads is somewhat greater than the decline on rural roads, there's more afoot.

• "Although the states with preference for the Democratic presidential candidate tend to be more urban than the states with preference for the Republican presidential candidate, the urban/rural difference does not fully account for the main finding."