Costs of car ownership rise

The cost of driving has risen by 14 per cent in just one year alone, the RAC has claimed.

As part of its annual report on motoring, the RAC has found that the cost of owning and running a car is rapidly increasing, with tax, insurance and repairs all escalating in price.

According to their research, owning and running a car in the UK costs the average motorist £6,500 per year, or the equivalent of nearly 56 pence per mile. This figure is £1,556 more expensive than the results for 2007 and a 14 per cent growth on last year's figure, bvrla.co.uk reports.

The trend has led many motorists to look into more long term car hire, enabling them to have a car when they need it but not have to deal with the ever increasing cost of tax, MOTs and insurance.

The report, as printed on rac.co.uk, reads: "Motoring is a necessity for the majority of drivers, but as this year's report shows, its rapidly becoming an unaffordable one.

"Economics has become the number one concern for drivers in every aspect of their motoring, from the number of journeys they make to how fast they drive. Drivers have a finite amount of money they can afford to spend on transport and that limit is rapidly being reached. If prices continue to rise unhindered, the implications for both drivers and wider society will be huge."