Accredited official statistics

Road traffic estimates in Great Britain: 2021

Road traffic estimates for Great Britain broken down by vehicle type, road type and area for 2021

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Road traffic estimates in Great Britain: 2021 tables

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Estimates of road traffic by:

  • vehicle type
  • road type
  • geographical region

in Great Britain for the year 2021.

Road traffic trends during 2020 and 2021 were affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK. Motor vehicle traffic on Great Britain roads increased by 11.9% between 2020 and 2021, to 297.6 billion vehicle miles. Traffic in 2021 was 12.1% lower compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

When compared to the year 2020:

  • car traffic increased by 12.2%
  • van traffic increased by 11.9%
  • lorry traffic increased by 7.9%
  • traffic on the Strategic Road Network increased by 14.6%
  • motorway traffic increased by 14.4%.
  • ‘A’ roads saw a 12.4% increase in traffic
  • minor road traffic increased by 10.0%

Contact us

Road traffic and vehicle speed compliance statistics

Email roadtraff.stats@dft.gov.uk

Media enquiries 0300 7777 878

Updates to this page

Published 28 September 2022

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