The car is still king, according to an AA analysis of the Government’s latest National Travel Survey.

It accounted for 80% of distance travelled compared to 8% on surface rail and, despite this car dependence, average car mileage decreased to 8,670 miles in 2008 from 9,700 in 1995/97 due to the cost of fuel and the general economic position.

“Despite the cost of fuel, we are still a nation dependent on car travel which accounts for four-fifths of distance travelled,” explained Edmund King, president of the AA.

“Drivers have reduced their mileage due to economic conditions but there is still ten times the distance travelled on road rather than rail.”

The survey also showed: diesel cars covered 12,210 miles compared to 7,670 for their petrol equivalent; Fridays are the busiest day on the roads; company cars now make up just 5% of the cars (down from 7%); and commuting and business travel accounted for 19% of all trips made, and represented 28% of all distance travelled last year.

The National Travel Survey (NTS) is a household survey designed to provide a databank of personal travel information for Great Britain.

In 2008, data was collected from over 8,000 households, covering around 19,000 individuals, and it is designed to pick up long term trends.