Polk Finds Fewer Cars on the Road

The number of cars and light trucks scrapped in the past 15 months substantially outnumbers new vehicle registrations in the U.S. during the same period, according to a recent analysis by R. L. Polk & Co. More than 14.8 million cars and light trucks were retired from the fleet between July 1, 2008 and Sept. 30, 2009, compared to new registrations of slightly more than 13.6 million, resulting in an overall scrap rate of 6.1 percent. This includes thousands of units scrapped during last year's CARS program, known as 'Cash for Clunkers,' and follows a trend seen by Polk over the past five years.

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