The Department for Transport (DfT) has published new figures that show traffic on Britain’s roads is currently at the highest level ever recorded.
The figures are still provisional estimates, but the 320bn miles travelled in the year ending in September is 1.4% higher than in the previous year – and 1.8% higher than the pre-recession peak of the year ending in September 2007.
Annual motor vehicle traffic has now increased in every quarter-year for 15 successive three-month periods.
Car traffic increased by 0.9% to 249.4bn vehicle miles, van traffic increased by 3.8% to a new peak of 48.2bn miles, while lorries travelled 17.1bn miles (7.9bn on motorways – another new record), a rise of 3.4%.
Over the last 20 years, all motor vehicle traffic has gone up by 17.4% overall. Car traffic has risen by 12%, while lorry miles have also risen my a modest 5.5%.
However, there has been a huge increase in the number of miles covered by vans, with a 70% rise.
Most of the increases have been on motorways and ‘A’ roads, with 2.5% and 2.1% increases, respectively. Minor road traffic has remained largely stable for six quarters, with 44.4bn vehicle miles covered on minor rural roads and 64.7bn vehicle miles for urban minor roads.
Recent research shows that in traffic in some areas of London, moves more slowly than a horse and cart
Analysis of long-term traffic figures over the last 20 years shows a 41.1% increase on motorways, a 22.3% rise on rural ‘A’ roads, but a slight fall on urban ‘A’ roads by 0.2%.
The DFT says that the increase in traffic over the last three years is likely to reflect the growth both in the UK economy and population, with lower fuel prices also a likely contributory factor.
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