Careful reading of IAM Motoring Facts 2008 reveals that:
1.Motorways make up less than 1% of Britain’s road network but carry 20% of all traffic
2.77% of lorry traffic is now on motorways and major rural roads
3.Road deaths are at their lowest level since 1930, when more than 7,300 were killed. In 1941, figures rose to an all-time high of 9,169 as the blackout took its toll
4.Air and rail continue to be the safest ways to travel; among all modes of transport, the risk of death and injury is highest for motorcyclist
5.Noise levels from vehicles have dropped dramatically – today’s new lorry is quieter than a car made in 1972
6.Around the world, car ownership and economic growth are inextricably linked – an extreme example is in the USA, where there are more personal vehicles than people old enough to drive
7.Four times as many car drivers under 30 years old are killed in accidents than drivers over 70
8.Cars account for 13% of all UK CO2 emissions and just over half of emissions from domestic transport
9.Over the last 60 years, the number of goods vehicles registered for the first time has dropped from 153,500 to 33,100
10.The number of company-owned cars continues to decline: 30 years ago, they represented 11.7% of all licensed cars, rising to a peak of 13% in 1989. Now, just 8.7% are company-owned.
IAM Motoring Facts 2008, published by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) Motoring Trust, brings together a wealth of data from government bodies, vehicle manufacturers and trade associations
IAM Motoring Facts 2008 is an online, interactive guide, which can be downloaded from www.iamtrust.org.uk. A click on ‘Want to know more?’ gives the detailed background data used in its compilation.
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Media contacts:
Becky Hadley/David Armstrong at Hadstrong 020 7808 7997 OR IAM Motoring Trust Media Relations – 020 8996 9777 ISDN line available
The IAM Motoring Trust is the research and advocacy arm of the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists).
