Motor vehicles, traffic and driving

In 2025, 71% of people aged 17 and over held a full driving licence. This percentage has been stable in recent years. Prior to 2019, it had been steadily increasing due to an increasing trend in women holding a licence. Men were still more likely to hold a driving licence than women, with 75% of men aged 17+ having one, compared to 67% of women. [Table 1]

People were more likely to have driving licences in rural areas (62% of adults in large urban areas had a driving licence, compared to 86% of those in rural areas). [Table 1]

Car and van access

73% of households had access to one or more cars or vans for private use. 29% of households had access to two or more cars or vans for private use. [Table 18b, Table SUM1] 

Car access increased with household income, as did the number of cars available per household: 47% of households with an annual income up to £15,000 had access to one or more cars, compared to 97% of households with an annual income of more than £60,000. [Table 18b and Figure 9]

Figure 9: Household access to cars or vans by selected household income bands, 2025

Households in rural areas were more likely to have access to a car than those in urban areas. Car access in accessible rural households was 88%, compared to 64% in large urban areas, where more public transport is available. [Table 18b]

Frequency of driving

65% of people drove at least once a week in 2025, with 39% driving every day. The percentage driving every day has risen since 2024 (35%), but remains lower than in 2019 (43%). [Tables 20 & SUM1]

Frequency of driving was higher in rural areas than in urban areas, and increased with income. [Table 20]

Fuel spend and cost of parking

In 2025, the average (mean) amount which an adult driver spent on vehicle fuel ‘in the last month’ was £114. [Table 2a]

The average (mean) spent by an adult on parking (including non-drivers) was £1.60 per week, this is higher than in 2024 (£0.80). For those who drove, the figure was £2.30. [Table 52]