The year 1958 seems long ago – a time when Sputnik 1 fell to earth from its orbit and Elvis Presley took off his crown as the King of Rock n’Roll to have his quiff sheared off by an army ‘hairdresser’.
It was an era when, according to the RAC research, there were six times less cars on the road. This, together with factors such as there being 60 per cent less[fewer]families and 18 per cent fewer people, has meant that Brits now clock up far more miles than they did a half century ago.
In car-less houses an average of 15 trips per week are made. This rises to 20 trips per week when one car is available and 22 trips when there are multiple cars in a house’s garage or on its driveway.
The RAC hopes to use these statistics to drive the government down the road of planning for increased travel demand. The organisation predicts that there will be a 25 per cent increase in suburban traffic by the year 2021.
