The Department for Transport has today published National Statistics on Traffic in Great Britain, including analyses by vehicle type and road class, for the third quarter of 2004.
These provisional figures indicate that estimated traffic levels rose by 2.1 per cent between the third quarter of 2003 and the third quarter of 2004. This is the same rate of growth recorded over the year to the second quarter of 2004. It is estimated that the underlying growth rate since 1999 has been between 1 and 2 per cent per annum. Other key results include:
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Car traffic rose by about 1 per cent over the year to the third quarter of 2004.
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Light van traffic was an estimated 5 per cent higher in the third quarter of 2004 than in the corresponding period of 2003. Goods vehicle traffic also rose by 5 per cent.
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Traffic on motorways grew by 1 per cent between the third quarter of 2003 and the third quarter of 2004.
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Urban A roads recorded a 4 per cent growth in traffic, over the same period, and there were rises of 3 per cent on minor rural roads and minor urban roads.
Notes to editors
1. Statistics Bulletin (04)8 Traffic in Great Britain – 3rd Quarter 2004 is available from DfT, SR2, Zone 2/14, Great Minster House, 76 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DR (Tel: 020 7944 3095). Quarterly road traffic statistics can be viewed at the following address: www.dft.gov.uk/transtat/roadtraff
2. The quarterly estimates are based mainly on data from 188 automatic traffic counters in the road, based at 160 sites. They are provisional and so are subject to revision.
3. Road traffic is one of the Government's headline indicators of sustainable development. These are a 'quality of life barometer' measuring everyday concerns and are intended to focus public attention on what sustainable development means and to give a broad overview of whether we are "achieving a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come".
4. The latest estimates of road traffic statistics at local authority level, together with corresponding figures for casualties in road accidents are now available on the website www.dft.gov.uk/transtat/roadtraff. These traffic figures at local level are less robust than the regional and national totals and are not classed as National Statistics. They are being provided to enable the calculation and monitoring of road casualty rates for individual local authorities.
5. The next quarterly bulletin will be published on Thursday 10 February 2005.
