Four-in-10 (40%) UK drivers say they have no feasible alternatives to the car when it comes to commuting – a figure that rises to 70% among rural drivers, according to new data from the RAC.
While 31% of all drivers say the bus is a viable commuting option, this increases to only 50% among those in town and city centres, where public transport options are typically more available. In the suburbs, just over a quarter (26%) of drivers see the bus as feasible. For those in rural areas, that figure falls to just 11%.
This heavy reliance on the car has remained stable for decades. The RAC found that 81% of drivers say they would find it “very difficult to adjust their lifestyle to being without a vehicle” – a near-identical result to the 1989 finding, when the RAC first asked the question.
Car dependency appears to grow with age. Among under-25s, 65% say they would struggle without a vehicle. This increases to 77% for those aged 25 to 44, 84% for those between 45 and 64, and 86% for those over 65.
The car remains the dominant mode of transport for many key activities. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of drivers always commute by car, while 57% always drive to buy groceries. Forty-two percent drive to take children to school, nursery or clubs, 40% drive to or from an airport, and 26% always drive when heading to a mainline railway station.
In contrast, just 8% of drivers use walking, cycling or public transport to commute, with only 3% doing so for grocery shopping.
Just 29% of all drivers consider public transport to be “an attractive alternative to driving” – though this is slightly up from 26% in 2023 and 23% in 2022. The figure is highest among under-25s at 41% and lowest among 45- to 65-year-olds at 25%.
Despite this, there remains some appetite for change. Over half (53%) of drivers said they would drive less if public transport was “more convenient, reliable and affordable” – although that figure is down from a high of 59% in 2019.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams 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.”
He added: “What’s more, 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.”
“Car dependency also seems to increase with age. Young people clearly have a desire and, in many cases, a need to drive, but the convenience and freedom it brings seems to become more important as the decades pass.”
“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.”
