19 October 2022

Van and truck traffic rises while car mileage falls from pre-pandemic levels

According to new data released by the Department for Transport (DfT) car traffic in Great Britain has increased by just under a third year-on-year with all motor vehicles travelling a total milage of 318.6 billion miles between March 2021 and March 2022, however the figure is still down on pre-pandemic milage.

Van and lorry traffic has also increased by 25.2% and 10.1% respectively, and this trend will carry on this way as far more online companies and businesses are using couriers to deliver products. This has also brought an increase of motorway traffic of nearly 40%.

‘A’ road traffic has also increased by nearly 30%, to 138.5 billion vehicle miles when compared to the year ending March 2021. Compared to pre-pandemic figures however, ‘A’ road traffic levels remain lower.

For businesses and fleet managers it is important to plan journeys for drivers and where possible use motorways and ‘A’ roads during off-peak times. Also, as many fleets start their electrification journey it will become more important for drivers to plan their routes around charging spots rather than fuel stations.