THE PRIVATE CAR.

Northern Advocate, 24 May 1929, Page 4

THE PRIVATE CAR.

TRAFFIC IN ENGLAND. The amazing growth of motor traffic in Great Britain during the last five years is brought out very clearly by an analysis of the annual census taken each autumn by the Automobile Association. These figures do not deal with street traffic in London or other great cities, but give a very valuable index to average highway traffic in the country.

Taking private cars alone, it is found that the average traffic passing all the A.A. census points last year was 15,200 cars in a week, as compared with 3000 in the year 1923. Thus the average flow of motor traffic has increased more than fourfold in five years. Nearly half of the total car traffic enumerated was in the home counties, but taking averages for each main division of the country, it is found that the highest average traffic per census point was in Lancashire, Cheshire, and adjoining counties. There the average was 21,465 cars passing each census point in a week of seventy-seven hours, or an average of over 3000 Cars per day-of eleven hours. There were more census points in the home counties since there are more roads, and the average “volume” was 20,925, or four times as great as it was in the year 1923. Remarkable growth is indicated in every area, showing that the private car throughout the country is providing travel facilities, and extending lines of communication, for a very great number of people. It is of interest to note that whilst car traffic has increased fourfold in five years the number of vehices has only doubled, thus indicating that road usage increases more, rapidly than the number of vehices. This fact emphasises the urgent need for greater road development;