It seems that the number of cars on our roads has been declining in recent years. So, what could this be attributed to? The high cost of motoring? More and more people becoming aware of the impact of global warming? Or, should we not be reading into these statistics quite so deeply anyway?

Statistics

The Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed that the volume of motor vehicle traffic in Great Britain has fallen for a third successive year. In 2010 the total motor vehicle traffic on Britain’s roads amounted to 308.1 billion miles, a 1.6% decline on 2009’s figure. That fall followed the 1% drop between 2008 and 2009, and the 0.8% decrease between 2007 and 2008.

Reactions

There have now been various articles written on the subject with various viewpoints flying around. For example, the Association of British Drivers has accused the Coalition Government of continuing with the “War on the Motorist”.

Furthermore, the figures were accompanied by more calls to reduce the level of fuel duty. In 2010/11 about £27.3 billion was raised through fuel tax. That’s a huge amount of money, yes; however the government is still, seemingly, struggling to raise cash as the global economy plunges deeper into financial meltdown. Well, perhaps not meltdown, but finances are indeed tight.

Meanwhile, Luke Bosdet, a spokesman for the AA, has been commenting: “People are being priced off the roads, and it is those on low incomes and those in rural areas who are worst affected. There is a real danger that motoring is being wound back to the 1960s and 70s, when it was by and large the preserve of the middle classes.”

Flip Side

The DfT’s National Transport Model tells a different story however. It suggests that the reduction in motor traffic seen in the last three years is a mere blip when compared to the overall picture. The DfT has predicted that between 2003 and 2043, we are to see a 43% rise in motor traffic. This would in turn lead to larger numbers of motor insurance quotes being taken out. A 43% rise will also mean one thing else – we will need more roads!

A 43% rise in motor traffic would be alarming and would cause huge amounts of congestion. Imagine a 43% increase in the amount of vehicles on the roads on your way to work every morning. It would take nearly twice as long to get anywhere! If this prediction begins to paint itself in real terms, something is definitely going to need to be done to increase traffic networks.

A 43% rise in motor traffic could, however, be potentially great news for the motor industry, but only if people were buying new cars of course, rather than second hand cars.

Whatever happens in coming years, it might just be a tad premature to begin blaming the decrease in motor traffic on the cost of motoring, whilst motoring is indeed very expensive these days, it does not necessarily mean we are regressing to the 1960s and 70s as aforementioned. For example, more and more people are cycling to and from work due to environmental concerns, and so that has undoubtedly contributed to the reduction in the number of cars on our roads also.