[archi42]

I wouldn't claim knowledge; it's only an abstraction from local low density areas: Where I live people drive less (suburbia) than where I was raised (country side) because there's practically no point in driving 30km/19mi to do groceries if that could be done in town.

Now Germany has a population density of 621 people/mi². The US has a little less than 100. Assuming similar interconnectness (family, friends, jobs, holidays), travel distances are much larger.