The Department for Transport recently published the latest results of the National Travel Survey.  This covers data collected in 2007 and 2008 in respect of what might be termed ‘daily travel’ (excluding international travel).   There had been a problem with the redesigned travel diary introduced in 2007 which unexpectedly led to an apparent under-recording of short trips; this resulted in postponement of publication of the 2007 survey data.  This experience confirms that time series survey data can be sensitive to small changes in collection methodology from year to year.  Accordingly, when considering the findings, we should focus on the big picture and avoid over-interpreting small changes.

This most recent data confirms the emergence over the past decade of a stable pattern of travel behaviour, averaged across the whole population.  In 2008, average travel time was 376 hours per person per year (pppy), just over an hour a day, little changed from 353 hours in 1972/73, the first year of the Survey.  Similarly, the number of trips in 2008 was 992 pppy, again little changed from 956 in the first year.  The average distance travelled, 6923 miles in 2008, has been fairly stable at around 7000 miles pppy since 1995/97.  Before that, distance travelled had risen steadily from 4500 miles in 1972/73. 

The common supposition is that daily travel has been increasing over time, and may be expected to continue to increase as incomes grow and travel becomes more affordable.  The data suggest otherwise, however.  It looks as though we may be travelling enough to meet our individual needs for access, and that overall travel growth will be driven by population growth.