REMARKABLE GROWTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 639, 16 April 1929, Page 6

REMARKABLE GROWTH

MOTOR 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 tbe annual census taken each autumn by tbe 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 3,000 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 77 hours, or an average of over 3,000 cars per day of 11 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 while car traffic has increased fourfold in five years the number of vehicles has only doubled, thus indicating that road usage increases more rapidlv than the number of vehicles. This lreLe? Pha 2 is f s the urePnr need for greater road development.