Vast majority of time vehicles are left parked-up at home
Vehicles in England are driven just four per cent of the time on average, analysis by the RAC Foundation has found.
The research suggests that cars and vans spend 73 per cent of their time parked at home.
It concluded that on average, English vehicles are driven for just one hour a day.
Steve Gooding, RAC Foundation director, said: “The average car is driven just one hour out of every 24, a proportion that is almost the same as it was back in 1995.
“However, this lack of use does have one silver lining.
“It means that there is ample opportunity for recharging the next generation of electric vehicles, particularly at home, or at work – so making best use of our cars’ ‘down-time’ rather than us having to make a specific trip just to get refuelled.
“There is clearly a lot of attention focused on providing a rapid public charging network to help address drivers’ range anxiety, but this data shows there is plenty of scope for slower, potentially cheaper recharging facilities to be installed at people’s homes, where the average car spends so much of its time.”
The RAC report is based on data provided by consultancy firm Field Dynamics, mapping agency Ordnance Survey and the Government.
“This is putting huge pressure on roadside space and explains why many of us feel that the parking bays in car parks don’t seem quite big enough.
“Crucially domestic garages are also often unfit for their intended purpose.
“The planning system needs to recognise that garage design needs to catch up with vehicle design, or throw in the towel and recognise that they are, in practice, garden sheds waiting to be converted to provide extra accommodation.
“This means thinking again about where the family car is going to be parked.”
