According to the RAC, 40% of motorists say they have no alternative to driving when it comes to commuting. In rural areas, this figure rises to 70%.
The RAC research revealed that 50% of drivers in towns and city centres consider taking the bus a viable option but this drops to 26% in the suburbs and just 11% in rural areas, where public transport options are limited.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said: “Our research shows that the car remains central to so many people’s lives. While those in more rural areas are most car-dependent, half of those in urban centres also don’t see public transport as a viable alternative for their daily commute.”
The RAC data found that 81% of motorists agreed that adjusting to a car-free lifestyle would be very difficult. It also reported that drivers become more dependent on their cars as they age. While 65% of drivers under 25 admitted they would struggle without their cars, this figure rose to 77% for drivers between 25 and 44 and climbed again to 86% for drivers over 65.
Some of the most common journey types uncovered by the research included commuting (63%), grocery shopping (57%), school runs (42%), and travel to airports (40%) or railway stations (26%).
On this, Williams said: “…while there’s a definite willingness to make greater use of alternatives to the car, driving is still the mode of choice when it comes to running errands or making leisure trips, possibly because drivers see it as the most time and cost-effective option.”
Lastly, the data found that only 29% of drivers consider public transport an attractive alternative to driving, with the highest percentage of drivers who believe this coming from the under-25 demographic (41%). Despite this, over half of drivers said they would consider public transport if it was more convenient, reliable and affordable.
Williams concluded: “While the current Government is very focused on improving public transport across the board, we suspect the car will always be essential to many people’s lives.”
