UK adults drive round the world 11 times in a lifetime
How many motoring miles do you reckon you’ve stacked up so far?
New research shows British adults will drive as many as 285,012 miles in their lifetime – equivalent to travelling around the world 11 times.
Mileage on the rise
A study of 2,000 motorists found that in a typical week, they will cover 87 miles across an average of 14 journeys. This adds up to an annual total of 4,524 miles.
As many as 11,400 trees would need to be planted to offset the carbon from travelling around the world 11 times.
And mileage is likely to shoot up further, with a third of workers planning to avoid public transport when they return to their workplace. One in four will commute by car more now than they did before the pandemic.
The survey also found the majority (56%) of car owners relied on their vehicles more during the pandemic, with 27% saying this was to avoid public transport, and 24% using them to check in on family and friends.
Three in 10 even felt compelled to buy a new car during the lockdowns.
Almost half (49%) of journeys are solo, though one in three drivers would prefer to have a passenger with them.
A fifth of respondents said lockdown made them realise they wanted to drive but did not like the environmental impact.
Greg Gormley, CEO and Co-Founder of SKOOT, which commissioned the study, said: “The research demonstrates that driving is essential to our lives but it’s accelerating the carbon emissions crisis.”
“Auto-offsetting all journeys – even solo ones – using SKOOT’s green sat nav helps by planting a free tree every drive.
“We can all help reduce congestion and carbon by sharing lifts more. Our new lift-sharing technology encourages colleagues and friends to help each other and the planet.”
Drive around the world guilt-free
Mark Stringer, CMO and the co-founder of SKOOT, said: “It’s great that people are becoming educated and more aware of their environmental impact. People think automatically about recycling and water usage, and we want them to do the same about carbon emissions from driving.
“The new app feature does the hard work for drivers and alleviates the sense of guilt that motorists share, offering a solution to help the environment in a fun, interactive and easy-to-use way.”
Keen to find more ways to help the environment? See our guide for top tips on green driving
