Department for Transport statistics

Traffic (www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/series/road-traffic-statistics)

Table TRA0201
Motor vehicle traffic (vehicle kilometres) by vehicle type in Great Britain, annual from 1949
Billion vehicle kilometres
Other Vehicles

Cars and
taxis

Light
vans 1

Goods
vehicles 2 Motorcycles

Buses &
Coaches

Total 3

All motor
vehicles

1949
1950
1951

20.3
25.6
29.3

6.5
7.8
8.2

12.5
11.2
11.7

3.1
4.4
5.6

4.1
4.1
4.2

7.2
8.5
9.8

46.5
53.1
58.9

1952
1953

30.6
33.4

8.7
9.1

11.3
11.5

6.0
6.7

4.2
4.2

10.2
10.9

60.8
64.9

1954
1955

37.2
42.3

9.3
9.8

12.2
13.2

6.9
7.5

4.2
4.2

11.1
11.7

69.7
77.0

1956
1957

46.2
45.2

10.0
10.3

13.0
12.5

7.4
8.3

4.2
4.0

11.6
12.3

80.8
80.3

1958
1959
1960

55.4
62.2
68.0

11.9
13.7
15.0

13.5
14.6
15.3

8.4
9.8
10.0

3.9
4.0
3.9

12.3
13.8
13.9

93.0
104.2
112.3

1961
1962

76.9
83.7

16.4
16.6

15.5
15.4

9.7
8.7

4.0
4.0

13.7
12.7

122.4
128.3

1963
1964

91.4
105.7

17.6
17.7

15.7
17.4

7.6
7.5

4.0
4.0

11.6
11.5

136.3
152.3

1965
1966

115.8
126.5

19.0
19.0

17.3
17.5

6.7
6.0

3.9
3.9

10.6
9.9

162.7
172.9

1967
1968

135.1
142.7

18.7
18.9

17.2
17.6

5.2
4.7

3.8
3.8

9.0
8.5

180.0
187.7

1969
1970
1971

147.9
155.0
165.1

19.3
20.3
21.3

17.4
17.6
18.1

4.2
4.0
3.9

3.8
3.6
3.6

8.0
7.6
7.5

192.5
200.5
212.0

1972
1973

174.7
184.0

22.2
23.3

18.4
19.3

3.7
3.9

3.6
3.5

7.3
7.4

222.5
234.0

1974
1975

180.0
181.6

23.6
23.5

18.6
18.3

4.2
5.1

3.3
3.2

7.5
8.3

229.7
231.7

1976
1977

190.4
194.1

24.2
24.5

19.2
18.8

6.3
6.2

3.3
3.2

9.6
9.4

243.5
246.8

1978
1979

202.4
201.5

25.2
25.1

19.5
19.6

6.1
6.4

3.3
3.3

9.4
9.7

256.5
255.9

1980
1981
1982

215.0
219.5
227.3

26.1
26.2
26.0

19.7
18.9
18.4

7.7
8.9
9.2

3.5
3.5
3.5

11.2
12.4
12.7

271.9
276.9
284.5

1983
1984

231.2
244.0

26.1
27.5

18.8
19.6

8.3
8.1

3.7
3.9

12.0
12.0

288.1
303.1

1985
1986

250.5
264.4

28.6
30.0

19.6
20.1

7.4
7.1

3.7
3.7

11.1
10.8

309.7
325.3

1987
1988

284.6
305.4

32.7
36.2

22.3
23.8

6.7
6.0

4.1
4.3

10.8
10.3

350.5
375.7

1989

331.3

39.7

25.5

5.9

4.5

10.4

406.9

Page 1 of 5

Table TRA0201
Motor vehicle traffic (vehicle kilometres) by vehicle type in Great Britain, annual from 1949
Billion vehicle kilometres
Other Vehicles

Cars and
taxis

Light
vans 1

1990

335.9

39.9

1991
1992

335.2
338.0

41.7
41.2

Goods
vehicles 2 Motorcycles
24.9
5.6
24.5
23.8

5.4
4.5

Page 2 of 5

Buses &
Coaches

Total 3

All motor
vehicles

4.6

10.2

410.8

4.8
4.6

10.2
9.1

411.6
412.1

Table TRA0201
Motor vehicle traffic (vehicle kilometres) by vehicle type in Great Britain, annual from 1949
Billion vehicle kilometres
Other Vehicles

1993

Cars and
taxis

Light
vans 1

Goods
vehicles 2 Motorcycles

Buses &
Coaches

Total 3

All motor
vehicles

338.1

41.6

24.3

3.8

4.6

8.4

412.3

1994
1995

345.0
351.1

43.3
44.5

24.8
25.4

3.8
3.7

4.6
4.9

8.4
8.6

421.5
429.7

1996
1997
1998

359.9
365.8
370.6

46.2
48.6
50.8

26.2
26.9
27.7

3.8
4.0
4.1

5.0
5.2
5.2

8.8
9.1
9.4

441.1
450.3
458.5

1999
2000

377.4
376.0

51.6
52.2

28.1
28.2

4.5
4.6

5.3
5.1

9.8
9.7

467.0
466.2

2001
2002

381.2
390.6

53.4
54.7

28.0
28.3

4.8
5.0

5.1
5.2

9.9
10.2

472.6
483.7

2003
2004

390.0
394.2

57.4
60.2

28.4
29.3

5.6
5.1

5.3
5.1

10.9
10.2

486.7
493.9

2005
2006

392.7
397.4

61.8
64.3

28.9
29.0

5.3
5.1

5.1
5.3

10.4
10.4

493.9
501.1

2007
2008
2009

397.9
395.0
394.0

67.4
66.9
65.5

29.3
28.6
26.2

5.5
5.0
5.1

5.4
5.0
5.0

10.9
10.1
10.1

505.4
500.6
495.8

2010
2011

385.9
387.4

66.1
66.6

26.3
25.6

4.6
4.6

5.0
4.7

9.6
9.3

487.9
488.9

2012
2013

386.7
386.2

66.4
68.5

25.0
25.2

4.6
4.3

4.4
4.5

8.9
8.8

487.1
488.8

2014
2015 P

393.4
400.1

72.3
76.7

25.7
26.0

4.5
:

4.5
:

9.0
8.7

500.4
511.5

Not exceeding 3,500 kgs gross vehicle weight, post 1982

Over 3,500 kgs gross vehicle weight, post 1982
3
Total of all other vehicles (i.e. motorcycles, buses, and coaches)
4
Data for 1993 onwards are not directly comparable with the figures for 1992 and earlier
P Provisional
: Value not available due to insufficient sample size
Source: DfT National Road Traffic Survey
Telephone: 020 7944 3095
Last updated: February 2016
Email: roadtraff.stats@dft.gsi.gov.uk
Next update: May 2016
1
2

The figures in this table are National Statistics.

Page 3 of 5

Billion vehicle kilometres

Chart TRA0201a: All motor vehicle traffic in Great Britain, from 1949 (kms)
12
Source:
National Road Traffic Survey, Department for
Transport
2015 is provisional and will be finalised in summer 2016

All other motor vehicles

10

Year

Cars and taxis

Billion vehicle kilometres

Chart TRA0101b: Other vehicle traffic (excluding cars and taxis) in Great Britain, from 1949 (kms)
120

Source: National Road Traffic Survey, Department for Transport

2015 is provisional and will be finalised in summer 2016.
Figures for motorcycles and Buses & Coaches unavailable until annual figures are finalised due to small
numbers.

100 Motorcycles

Buses & coaches

Heavy goods vehicles

Light vans

80

60

40

20

Year