Home deliveries fuel rise in vehicle miles

The nation's ever-increasing appetite for home deliveries has served to fuel the latest rise in vehicle mileage, according to new data from the Department for Transport (DfT). According to the latest provisional road traffic estimates for the whole of the UK for 2016, total vehicle mileage rose by 5.5 per cent when compared to 2011 to 320.5 billion miles. However, the figures revealed that while total car mileage increased by 3.7 per cent during the five-year period, van mileage was up by a far greater 17.2 per cent. Indeed, the DfT data showed that the rise in popularity for home deliveries could explain this variance, with many local journeys being replaced in this way. Further pressures on the general motoring public, including rising fuel bills and higher levels of congestion, were also factors in this shift. Responding to the latest stats, AA president Edmund King commented: "While car ownership, motorway and A road usage is on the rise, drivers are still restricting their local journeys due to parking pressures and fuel costs." Ben Robb, brand manager at The Fuelcard People, adds: "The high volume of vehicles on the nation's roads is something we have all become used to in the 21st century. Now, with more and more people expecting around-the-clock deliveries at the press of a button, we can't see this changing anytime soon."