Britons are getting out less: DfT

12.00 | 31 July 2013 |

Britons are venturing out less than they used to, according to the DfT’s National Travel Survey: 2012.

Since the mid-1990s trips by private transport – cars, motorbikes and bicycles – have fallen 14% while public transport trips have increased by 2%.

For the purposes of the survey, a trip is defined as a "one-way course of travel with a single main purpose".

In 2012, the average distance travelled by an individual was 6,691 miles which is 49% higher than in 1972/73, but 4% lower than in 1995/97. Average trip length was seven miles.

The number of walking trips has fallen by 27%, while the average distance and length of all trips has generally levelled off since the late 1990s.

Last year the average Briton made only 954 trips within the UK – down from 1,086 in the period 1995-1997.

The average distance travelled in 2012 was 6,691 miles – 4% lower than in 1995-97 and also lower than the recent peak of 7,208 miles in 2005.

In 2012, trips by car (as a driver or passenger) accounted for 64% of all trips made and 78% of distance travelled. Estimated average annual car mileage was 8,200 miles.

The report suggests that most of the marked decline in overall trips is due to fewer visits by shoppers to the high street and out-of-town centres and reduced commutes – thanks to opportunities to work from home.

On average, females make more trips than males, but males travel much further each year. The average number of car driver trips and distance travelled by men is falling while those by women are increasing.

The statistics are based on a survey of 8,201 households – involving more than 19,000 individuals across all age groups, including children – based on detailed interviews and regular ‘diaries’ kept by participants.

Click here to read the DfT report.

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