Rural drivers face isolation as cost of motoring soars

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22 June 2011 at 00:01

RAC Report on Motoring 2011 reveals the choices facing motorists over which journeys they can afford to make

Almost a third of people living in the countryside will be forced to give up visiting family if motoring costs continue to rise.  These people are almost twice as reliant on their cars when it comes to visiting loved ones than city dwellers (80% versus 44%).

The massive impact that the rising cost of motoring is having on drivers’ lives is laid bare in this year’s RAC Report on Motoring¹, with almost half (48%) cutting back on journeys for financial reasons. It reveals for the first time how these costs are polarized, with motorists living in the countryside more affected than those living in towns and cities.

Rural motorists are the most dependant on their cars, having fewer transport alternatives – such as buses and trains – and travelling more miles than other motorists.

The RAC Report on Motoring 2011 – now in its 23rd year – looked at car dependency for different types of journeys.  In each, rural drivers were significantly more dependant than urban ones on their cars. 

Overall 86% of rural drivers say it would be very difficult for them to use their cars less, compared to 69% of urban drivers.  The commute to work is a significant area of dependency for those who use their car, with over two-thirds of rural drivers having no option - compared with less than a third of urban drivers.  This is supported by the findings showing that for 30% of rural drivers the nearest bus stop or train station is too far away to be convenient, compared to 3% of urban dwellers.

Table 1: Dependency on car for carrying out certain activities

People who could only carry out certain activities using their cars	Total	Rural	Urban
For family commitments (visiting family, transporting elderly relatives)	65%	80%	44%
For food and essentials shopping	57%	72%	39%
For commuting	55%	69%	30%
For transporting children to school and social activities	52%	60%	39%
For responding to medical issues (eg doctor’s appointments, hospital visits)	50%	67%	32%
For maintaining social life	44%	62%	24%

Motorists are already cutting back where they can to cut costs. 40% of rural drivers and 32% of urban drivers who have cut down on short journeys did so for financial reasons. Similarly, 34% of rural drivers and 23% of urban drivers who have cut down on long journeys did so for the same reason.

The Report reveals the financial impact is only set to get worse, leaving people who use their car potentially feeling isolated as they can no longer afford their social lives or carry out family commitments - 44% of these drivers say they could only maintain their current social life using their car. For rural motorists, this figure rises to 62%. And for those who taxi their kids around to school and social activities, the car is a necessity for 52% of people – rising to 60% for rural drivers.

Table 2: Day-to-day activities motorists have already given up or will have to give up if fuel costs continue to rise

Daily activities	Given Up	Will Give Up
Transporting children to school or social activities	9%	24%
Family commitments (visiting family, transporting elderly relatives)	3%	27%
Commuting to work	7%	17%
Maintaining social life	7%	31%
Food and essentials shopping	4%	20%

Adrian Tink, RAC motoring strategist, says: “This year’s Report on Motoring shows the tough choices being made by many motorists, with rural drivers hit the hardest as they have little alternative but to use their cars. Peoples’ ability to live their lives and do the most basic of tasks, such as visit family and take their children to after school activities, is being threatened – and it looks like it’s only going to get worse.

“UK drivers want action from the Government.  They already pay the highest duty and tax on fuel in Europe. At the very least, we are calling for fuel duty to be frozen and scheduled inflationary rises to be scrapped.  In addition the Government should look again at the fair fuel stabiliser so that increased revenue from high oil prices can be passed back to drivers.”

But motorists, especially those in rural areas, are backed into a corner. 64% of rural drivers strongly believe it would be very difficult to adjust their lifestyles to being without a car compared to 36% of urban drivers. Yet 65% of drivers say they will have to ‘severely reduce’ their car usage.

Motoring campaigner Quentin Willson, says: “The greatest concern in the driver’s mind today is the spiralling cost of fuel. Duty rises are causing untold hardship for millions of motorists. Drivers are being forced to use the roads less, and there’s a clear feeling that the price of fuel is hindering economic growth and reducing discretionary spending.

“Different drivers are feeling the pain in different ways. For rural motorists, public transport frequently isn’t a viable option meaning they have little choice but to keep filling up the fuel tank. For urban drivers, getting to the shops, commuting to work, and doing the school run are all becoming frighteningly expensive. This is forcing people to make unpalatable personal sacrifices.”

Other highlights from the RAC Report on Motoring 2011

State of the roads: 92% believe the quality and conditions of local roads have deteriorated in the past 12 months and 78% say that motorways and main roads have deteriorated.

Transport investment: Drivers firmly believe that simple maintenance and improvement of local services should be prioritised by the Government, rather than the big expensive schemes such as the high speed rail link between London and Birmingham. 84% of motorists want the maintenance of local roads prioritised. Only 14% want to see the high speed rail link, just 7% want additional capacity at regional airports and as little as 4% want additional capacity at London airports.

Winter driving: Almost one in four stated the authorities’ lack of preparation for the extreme weather was a real concern - and 62% want investment in winter weather equipment to be prioritised.

Speed limits: There is still strong support for a higher speed limit on motorways, with 75% of drivers wanting a limit of more than 70mph. Conversely just 16% want a higher speed limit on 30mph roads. More police patrols and the introduction of in-car speed limiters are the most popular methods for tackling speeding.

Drink Driving: 16% of motorists know or suspect they’ve driven over the limit in the last 12 months. 80% of motorists would like to see the current drink-drive limit of 80mg reduced.

Alternative vehicles:  The environment barely registers on drivers’ radars. 49% said price was the biggest barrier, up from just over a third last year and 30% would only buy an alternatively-powered car if cheaper to run than a conventional one (up from 23% in 2010).

- Ends -

If you are a journalist and would like further information, please contact:

Adrian Tink, RAC Motoring Strategist, 01603 681 922, adrian.tink@aviva.co.uk

John Franklin, RAC Press Office, 01603 680 795, john.s.franklin@aviva.co.uk

David Chambers, Hill & Knowlton, 0207 413 3155, david.chambers@hillandknowlton.com

Anna Carter, Hill & Knowlton, 0207 413 3514, anna.carter@hillandknowlton.com

Electronic copies of the report can be downloaded from www.rac.co.uk/reportonmotoring

Notes to Editors

¹ The 2011 RAC Report on Motoring surveyed 1,002 motorists (i.e. those who hold a current driving licence and drive at least once a month). The research was conducted in February and March 2011, with the questionnaire taking around 20 minutes to complete.

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