Estimate calories burned driving a car per hour or per trip from your body weight, with MET presets for driving, riding as a passenger or truck driving.
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Calories Burned By Driving A Car Formula
Use the following formula to calculate calories burned while driving:
C = BW × M × F
Variables:
- C = calories burned
- BW = body weight in kilograms
- M = driving time in minutes
- F = driving factor
Driving factor values:
| Driving Style | Factor |
|---|---|
| Driving a car (2.0 MET) | 0.0350 |
| Heavy truck or bus (2.5 MET) | 0.0438 |
| Riding as a passenger (1.3 MET) | 0.0228 |
| Custom MET | MET × 3.5 ÷ 200 |
The factor is MET × 3.5 ÷ 200, using MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities. The calculator uses driving a car by default.
Calories Burned Driving Per Hour
The table below shows common hourly calorie totals for different body weights and driving styles.
| Driving Style | 150 lb | 180 lb | 200 lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driving a car (2.0 MET) | 143 | 171 | 191 |
| Heavy truck or bus (2.5 MET) | 179 | 214 | 238 |
| Riding as a passenger (1.3 MET) | 93 | 111 | 124 |
How to Calculate Calories Burned While Driving
- Enter your body weight.
- Enter the number of minutes you spent driving.
- Choose your driving activity, or Custom MET if you know your own value.
- Multiply body weight in kilograms by minutes driven and the driving factor.
Example
A person who weighs 180 lb and drives a car for 45 minutes burns:
C = 81.65 × 45 × 0.035 = 128.59
That equals about 129 calories burned.
What Affects Calories Burned While Driving?
- Body weight: Heavier drivers burn more calories over the same amount of time.
- Total time: Longer drives increase total calorie burn directly.
- Traffic conditions: Stop-and-go driving raises steering, braking, and reaction demands.
- Vehicle type: Larger vehicles usually require more upper-body effort and sustained attention.
