Skip to main content

UK traffic volumes hit record levels

Traffic volumes in the UK have hit record levels. This has been shown by new provisional figures from the Department for Transport (DfT). In the year ending December 2016 car traffic increased by 0.7% to a record high of 399.2 billion vehicle km and HGV traffic grew by 2.8% overall to 27.4 billion vehicle km. The report suggests that this rise is partly due to the growth in the economy as well as lower fuel prices. Provisional estimates suggest that both ‘A’ roads and motorways experienced the highest l
February 10, 2017 Read time: 1 min
Traffic volumes in the UK have hit record levels. This has been shown by new provisional figures from the 5432 Department for Transport (DfT). In the year ending December 2016 car traffic increased by 0.7%  to a record high of 399.2 billion vehicle km and HGV traffic grew by 2.8% overall to 27.4 billion vehicle km.

The report suggests that this rise is partly due to the growth in the economy as well as lower fuel prices. Provisional estimates suggest that both ‘A’ roads and motorways experienced the highest level of vehicle traffic recorded; motorway traffic increased by 2.1% to 108.6 billion vehicle km in 2016, continuing a long-term trend of increasing motorway traffic over the past six years.

There is concerns that the UK’s road network will be unable to cope with growing traffic volumes.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Figures reveal road fatality increase for UK
    February 5, 2015
    Road fatalities increased in the UK during 2014, compared with 2013. The latest official figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) show there were 1,730 deaths on British roads by the year ending in September in 2014, a gain of 1% over the same period for 2013. Worse still, the total killed or seriously injured (KSI) total climbed 4% to 24,360 and child casualties rose 3% to 2,060. Cyclist deaths and serious injuries are up 8% to 3,500. For the year ending September 2014, there were 192,910 reported r
  • New data shows continued fall in KSI figures on UK roads
    June 27, 2013
    The UK’s road safety is improving according to the latest set of official statistics. According to the Department for Transport (DfT) figures, 1,754 people were killed on the UK’s roads in 2012, a drop of 8% from the figure for 2011 and the lowest level since national records commenced in 1926. Meanwhile 23,039 people suffered serious injuries in road crashes, 0.4% lower than the 23,122 in 2011 but 15% lower than the average for the 2005-2009 period. The number of child casualties fell 17% to 17,251 compare
  • US road safety is a cause for concern
    September 6, 2021
    There is concern over a worrying trend in US road safety, while there have been steady gains in road safety in Europe
  • RAC blasts UK Government's poor infrastructure investment
    May 14, 2012
    The UK’s motorists are facing increased congestion and longer delays due to a steady increase in vehicle numbers combined with reduced spending on transport infrastructure. A report by the RAC Foundation warns that there will be 4,000,000 more cars on the UK’s roads in the next 25 years, while the UK’s Government has not explained what plans it has to cope with the projected increase in traffic. The report predicts a 43% rise in traffic volume by 2035, with the biggest increase in the East Midlands. The fou