Accredited official statistics
TSGB 2011: Roads and traffic
This chapter of Transport Statistics Great Britain presents statistics on road traffic, traffic forecasts, road lengths, vehicle speeds, congestion and road taxation revenue.
Documents
Details
This chapter of Transport Statistics Great Britain presents statistics on road traffic, traffic forecasts, road lengths, vehicle speeds, congestion and road taxation revenue.
Key points
- In 2010, the overall motor vehicle traffic volume in Great Britain was 1.6% lower than in 2009, at 308.1 billion vehicle miles.
- Motor vehicle traffic has fallen for three consecutive years for the first time since records began in 1949. However, traffic levels in 2010 were 6.2 per cent higher than in 2000.
- In 2010, motorways and ‘A’ roads accounted for 0.9% and 11.8% respectively of total road length in Great Britain. In contrast, 19.8% of all motor vehicle traffic was on motorways and 44.3% on ‘A’ roads.
- 49% of cars on motorways were travelling at a speed that exceeded the 70 mph limit.
- The average speed achieved on local authority managed ‘A’ roads during the morning peak in 2010/11 was 25.1 mph.
- In 2010/11, nearly £5.8 billion was raised through vehicle excise duty (VED), and about £27.3 billion was raised through fuel tax.
Technical information
Information on road traffic statistics, including the pre-release access list and related technical documentation can be found on the road traffic statistics page.
Contact us
Road traffic and vehicle speed compliance statistics
Email [email protected]
Media enquiries 0300 7777 878