3 January 2012
2.4 billion fewer litres of petrol and drivers resolve to cut back further
Petrol sales, down 2.4 billion litres in the first nine months of 2011 compared to 2008, look set to collapse further in 2012. That’s if AA members stick to their most popular New Year’s resolutions and cut back even more on car use.
Nearly 40% say they will either drive more economically (26%) or drive less often (12%) in 2012, according to an AA Populus poll of 20,181 AA members – one of the biggest responses ever from the survey panel.
The cost of fuel and the affordability of driving has become such an obsession that other New Year resolutions take a far lower priority: drive more safely 5%, keep to the speed limit 4%, drive less aggressively 3%.
The response from lower-income drivers once again indicates how much harder they have been hit by record pump prices. While 37% of professionals and senior managers say they will drive less often or more economically, that rises to 40% for socio-economic groups that include skilled and unskilled manual and service workers, pensioners and the unemployed.
A higher percentage of unskilled workers, pensioners and unemployed (14%) will drive less often in 2012 than top and middle-level managers and professionals (11%).
Government statistics (Energy Trends December 2011) show that between January and September this year:
Regionally, the South West and Northern Ireland are most resolved to cut back on car use, both with 41% of AA members saying that they aim to drive more economically or less often. Least determined are those in London with 35%.
Drivers are clearly being forced into cutting their motoring by the high price of fuel and, for many, this will impose difficult constraints on their lives
Edmund King, AA president
“Drivers are clearly being forced into cutting their motoring by the high price of fuel and, for many, this will impose difficult constraints on their lives. We have reached the stage where motoring is once again only easily affordable for the better off and, with the car still the mainstay means of travel for the majority, that is depressing news at the start of 2012,” says Paul Watters, head of AA Public Affairs.
“The impact of high fuel prices on ordinary drivers is staggering with just over a quarter of those choosing a new-year resolution saying they would drive more economically and a further one in 10 intending to drive less. This far exceeded the 12% going for road safety-related resolutions, perhaps because the cost of motoring threatens the way they live their lives.”
(2 February 2012)
