Households with one car are jumping behind the wheel 4.3% less often but cutting their mileage by 1.8% compared to two years ago, new figures from the Department of Transport analysed by the AA show.
The statistics illustrate how soaring fuel prices and the recession are forcing families to combine trips and go out less often, to the detriment of business.
The National Travel Survey, published this week, shows that households with one car made 43 fewer trips and drove 119 fewer miles in 2010 than in 2008 (1010 v 967 trips, 6370 v 6251 miles).
Those with two or more cars made 26 less trips, down 2.4%, and drove 380 fewer miles, down 4.2%, compared to 2008.
Since 2008, secondary and non-drivers have lost out even more than main drivers. In 2010, other drivers made 46 fewer (-4.9%) car trips and non-drivers 41 fewer (-4.6%) than in 2008. Main drivers took the car out 32 fewer (-2.7%) times than two years previously, although the 396-mile reduction on 2008 levels was much greater than the 122 fewer miles for other drivers and 141 cut for non-drivers.
Current pump price rises offer little hope of respite in the near future. This week, average UK petrol prices rose another half a penny to 136.40p a litre yesterday, while diesel prices are up three-quarters of a penny since Sunday to 140.73p. A year ago, a litre of petrol cost 19.53p a litre less and diesel was 21.42p cheaper. Record prices, set in May this year, remain 137.43p for petrol and 143.04p.
“After Department for Energy and Climate Change figures revealed that one billion fewer litres of petrol were bought in the first quarter of this year compared to same period in 2008, yet more official figures are showing how badly recession and record fuel prices are taking away people’s mobility in the UK,” says Edmund King, the AA’s president.
“Piece by piece, a jigsaw of financial hardship and lost travel freedom is being revealed by official statistics. The AA/Populus panel survey laid the corner piece in June with its revelation that the percentage of AA members cutting back on car use, other spending to compensate or both had risen from 63% at the turn of the year to 76% by mid year.”
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