Another misuse of Statistics by the Motoring lobby.
'More than half would never part with their vehicles, regardless of the cost,'
Could mean 49% would part with their vehicle a massive possible change and reduction in congestion since the effect would be focussed on the congested local routes and a relatively small change nationally could mean extremely significant changes in selected loctions..
And of course MOST Cross Channel lorry drivers said they would continue to use the Ferries and not the Chunnel have a look at the figures there.
Figures showing at what level motorist switch also show 17% WOULD change at £1.50/litre if just 17% of users of the most crowded M Way in UK switched this would reduce daily vehicles by about 34,000 per day (remember most commuters make a return trip.
It would cure the congestion problem on M6 and save the SNP the need to dual the A9 and build a second Forth Bridge.

Benefits all round especially when CO2 and other natural resources are considered.

A lean, well run government would result in less tax thus making fuel more affordable in spite of the recent hikes.

A motorists' protest would bring the country to a standstill by lunchtime. Just park on the road and go back inside for a leisurely breakfast.

Regardless, the fact is that the price of road fuel in the Uk is about half of what it should be.

#4 You are a total hypocrite. You'll go back home to America and drive around all over the place using very cheap petrol, and you have the audacity to tell us that our petrol should have higher tax on it.

The government is profiteering on the rise in oil prices, and they are screwing the motorists with tax. We do need a motorist's protest, preferably an ongoing protest that will bring this misbegotten government to its knees.

Many motorists do not have an option but use their cars. Reports such as this are stupid they just give Mr Broon more ideas...or perhaps it's Mr Darling these days? Quite amazing scam is fuel. (North sea) oil fetching vast prices which swells HMG coffers, then it is refined and sold back to us with a massive wedge of tax on top to swell HMG coffers.

Proves clearly that cars will be used irrespective of politically possible fuel price increases. Indicates that fuel taxes are pure revenue raising measures to pay for disastrous government "investment" in failed computer systems, "consultants" quangos and for the highest paid doctors and nurses in Europe to deliver a third world service.

1. truthsleuth,
You certainly never let the facts spoil your rambling nonsense.
A second Forth Bridge (or tunnel as some would prefer) will certainly be built no matter what happens with fuel prices or car usage. The present bridge, after the earth shattering discovery, that unprotected steel wire rusts in a salty atmosphere is rapidly approaching the end of its serviceable life..

Um...I need my car for work. But if it becomes so expensive that using my car puts me into debt (as no doubt there would be no compensation in the guise of a pay rise) will the government give me a new job or the funds to actually afford to work?

If they keep increasing the cost it'll end up costing us more money to travel to work than you make that day.

Due to the high cost of fuel in the Highlands where in fact most live in the swamplands of Inverness, Thingvollr and beyond, you see alot of exotic metal in supermarket carparks that burn twice as much as a practical wee runabout. Taxing liquid fuel seems a fair and efficient way of collecting; it's how it's spent that rankles. (and do we need road tax on cars that wear them out very little when you must have a cert. of ownership and MOTs as required).

To think out of the box, it helps to have tried thinking in it. To these ends, I propose creating thinking pods near every High Street where you can come in out of the cold, wet and pollution whenever something novel seems to be happing in the heid. Perhaps it's giving birth to a thought or idea.

Cauld hooses are the feature of scottish life -- this is felt in some calvanistic way to be virtuous or at least discouraging of over-age sex. So it's always tempting to jump into the wee car which at least has a heater.

Public transport is in fact improving and arguably every citizen should get a free travel pass - it would save collecting fares and prob. be done for the same price as the proposed ID cards. (due to most of us not knowing who we are). People will still want to use their cars for you can jump into them and go where you need to go without stopping here and there and detouring round and about the country and suburbs.

""Rollercoaster oil prices are placing ever greater pressure on fuel producers and retailers to pass on the extra cost to drivers."

No. It's governments setting criminally high tax levels that pushes the price of fuel up. It has very little to do with the price of crude.

"FUEL bills could be cut by motorists making simple changes to their driving habits, according to experts."

OK, lets look at some of them...

"Drivers are advised to avoid heavy braking and accelerating by watching the road ahead to anticipate when to slow down or stop, well in advance."

Fairly sound, although if you pussy-foot around and never get your brakes up to temperature, they will rapidly deteriorate, possibly making the vehicle unsafe.

"Gears should be changed as soon as possible, ideally around 1,500-2,500 revs."

Depends on the car and road conditions. You should always select the correct gear for the conditions. Car control should ALWAYS take priority over any perceived "economy" measures. Short-Shifting in this way is rarely a good idea, besides, if you drive an automatic, you can't do this in any case.

"Motorists should also keep their speed down and consult their car's handbook for the most fuel-efficient speeds for in town and on the open road."

Not always the case. A petrol engine runs at its most efficient with the throttle fully open. Once again, the issue of safety comes to mind here. If you drive down a typical A-Road at nothing more than 56mph then you are going to annoy a whole load of other drivers and encourage some possibly dangerous behaviour. Far better to drive at the speed of the traffic flow.

"Fuel-draining drag could be reduced by closing windows and sun roofs."

100% correct.

"Excess baggage should be removed from the car, such as unnecessary items in the boot, to prevent increased fuel consumption."

10

Often wondered what the government would do if someone invented a cheap fuel,what would they transfer there immoral tax to.
I am sure there is a way to produce cheap fuel and I also believe the government is blocking that.
Lets take our cars off the road for a week and see what the lame duck of a government would do.Anyone want to take up the cudgel,I will help,is no one going to stand up to this NEW LABOUR PARTY,AND TELL THEM ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

In 40 years' time, when the price of oil is sky high, we will regret that we used it all up driving to the shops to buy a packet of crisps (most car journey are under 5 miles).

It is a geological certainty that the oil will one day run out. And long before that, the amount starting to come of the ground will start to declne, but demand is rising all the time. And when demand exceeds supply, so prices rise. All those people "who have no choice" but to use their car, will soon find themselves scuppered some day soon, with or without petrol fuel duty.

#11 Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head: Actually, you are slightly incorrect about taxation. The government taxes actually help to baffle the effect of an oil price increase in % terms. That is why people in the US are going nuts as gas increases in price at the pump (where they have low taxation, so are open to market signals), whilst for most of us Europeans are in high taxation regimes already, so price rises, relatively, don't have such a great impact...we already pay loads!
The flip side is, of course, that when fuel prices slide back towards $50, their petrol prices wil more closely mirror that 50% fall, whilst we will only pay c.20% less. Not fair!

,,, replacing the government is a better answer than replacing the car - at least until the government comes up with a better alternative.

The bulk of fuel cost is excessive tax and totally unnecessary for better transport facilities.

The present policy of trying to make rail travel more attractive by closing motorways, narrowing roads, persecuting drivers on the flimsiest excuse (like parking a centimetre more than 50 cms from the kerb) are all intended to make trains more attractive by making the better alternative worse is very Labour - and very inadequate.

Let's opt for better government.

#14:

Yes, but you can't ignore the fact that goverrment taxes add a HUGE amount onto the cost of fuel. In this country at least, lower the taxes and you dramatically affect the price at the pumps.

"It is a geological certainty that the oil will one day run out."

Correct. So whay are we not building more nuclear power stations instead of relying on ones that are fueled by fossil fuels?

Whay is there not a massive investment into fuel cell technology?

"Motorists should also keep their speed down and consult their car's handbook for the most fuel-efficient speeds for in town and on the open road"....

Errr, wouldn't it be best to actually stop the car before consulting the handbook?

#16 - I'm not arguing with that, I'm merely pointing out that the price at the pump in the UK is not sensitive to the world oil price in the way it is in the US. Since we already build in alot of the cost of oil into our daily lives (mostly through transport costs), we actually don't 'notice' or feel the pinch as much as countries with low tax regimes. I'm not saying its a good thing....its just a thing.

#5, Guga, little man, very little man. I AM home in Scotland, you putrid, jealous little man. I drive all over the world and fuel costs a different price everywhere. Fuel in Scotland IS about half of what it needs to be to ensure conservation - which starts with driving less. The fact that you, in past posts, have indicated that you live in the sticks and drive some form of 'gas-guzzler' is your problem - it makes YOU the hypocrit, not me. The last visit I had to the US I took a 4-nonth lease on a Toyota 'Prius' and overall average about 47 miles to the US gallon. Focus your mind on improving yourself, not unfairly criticising others.

Global oil production has been flat for 3 years. It is unlikely to grow much and may decline. Global oil demand is growing at 2 or more percent a year. Oil prices can easily get to 200 or 300 dollars a barrel. This will really hurt the poor whether here or abroad. There is no alternative to petrol. To replace 40 million cars in the UK with electric vehicles will take decades, and we can barely keep the lights on now... Prepare for peak by becoming less dependent on the car..