While driving and car ownership remain central to the American way of life, social, technological and economic shifts are changing people’s needs and perceptions of personal transportation. Canvas8 spoke with 20 people from across the US to find out about their life behind the wheel.

No one likes a traffic jam, and a study conducted by traffic information company INRIX has revealed that they waste a whole lot of money in addition to time. It found that the US is performing especially poorly in the rankings of congested cities across the world.

“Uncertain waits are longer than known, finite waits,” writes psychologist David Maister. It’s why train platforms, and a growing number of bus stops, have tickers on them. It’s also why Audi has launched a service that enables its cars to inform drivers how long they’ll be waiting at the next light.

“Stuck on a baking Tube, late, hate the Central Line. Think driver has gone to sleep!” People love sharing their transport miseries on social media, but while it may make them feel better for a minute, they will probably run into the same problem on the next day's commute.