24 August 2006 15:27 GMT / By Jason Denwood
While the powers that be spend their time trying to figure out ways of getting motorists out of their cars and on to public transport, it appears it's the cost of petrol that's really putting a bee in the car bonnet of UK drivers.Motorists are now more concerned about the cost of petrol than any other issue currently affecting our roads, according to a new Yahoo! Cars study. In a poll of more than 1500 drivers, half said the threat of rising fuel prices was their overriding worry. Rising insurance premiums, car tax rises, speed limit reductions and motorway tolls and parking restrictions each polled only under 6%.
Perhaps surprisingly - especially for Londoners and other urban dwellers threatened by such a scheme - congestion charging was the bottom answer, with just 3% of respondents feeling it was the issue that concerned them most. Speed cameras (15%) and the worsening state of British roads (9%) were the only other issues which caused significant concern for drivers.
Despite petrol price cuts announced by leading supermarket chains and the end of the peak petrol usage season in the United States, a litre of unleaded is still on average around 95p and diesel at 97p, following increased Middle East tension and petrol pipeline problems in Alaska.
Yahoo! Cars spokesperson Hazel Checkley said: “Many British people are heavily dependent on their vehicles - from the school run mum to the delivery driver - and it’s not always easy to cut down on your mileage, but the increases in petrol prices do seem to be encouraging consumers to search for more economical alternatives".
"At the same time, rising consumer demand means more manufacturers are also introducing greener alternatives. Over the last year, we have seen a significant increase in both searches for more eco-friendly cars and a greater range of these cars on the market.” Car And GPS, Cars
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