Largest fall in motor traffic since records began in 1994 - RAC comment

Commenting on the new road traffic estimate statistics that have been released this morning, RAC head of policy Nicholas Lyes said:

“There is little doubt that 2020 is having a profound impact on our travel habits. Incredibly, 52 billion fewer vehicle miles were travelled in the year to the end of June than was to be expected if the pandemic hadn’t hit. The biggest fall in traffic volumes was on motorways as drivers tended to stay local during the lockdown periods in the Spring, with the sight of empty highways surely one of the enduring images of that stage of the pandemic.

“The million pound question now is what happens next. With the introduction of local lockdowns in several parts of the UK, we’re already seeing traffic volumes start to dip again after rising through the summer. Nonetheless, the RAC’s own analysis suggests that drivers are attaching greater importance to having access to a vehicle in light of the pandemic, which they see as a reliable and safe form of transport in these continuously uncertain times.”