2:25 pm, November 7, 2022
More than a third of motorists have found the cost of driving a struggle over the past month.
That’s according to a new survey from Comparethemarket, which also found that 40 per cent of drivers fear they’ll be unable to stay on the road if costs keep rising.
Its poll of 2,000 drivers found that nearly nine in 10 are worried that increases in other household bills will stop them from being able to afford to continue driving.
Food and energy bills were the top concerns.
Comparethemarket’s Money Action Index found that households worried about the rising cost of living believe they’ll have to find an average of £224 per month more to cover their rising bills.
Ninety per cent of drivers are worried about petrol and diesel prices. In addition, 40 per cent reckon they’ll need to take on more debt to stay on the road.
Meanwhile, separate figures from Comparethemarket show that the annual cost of running a petrol-powered car soared by £272 year on year in September to reach £1,866, with the increasing price of petrol having the biggest impact.
Julie Daniels, director at Comparethemarket, said: ‘The cost of petrol is still considerably more expensive than last year, and other household bills have surged even higher in recent weeks.
‘As a result, many drivers are finding it difficult to afford staying on the road and are being forced to make fewer journeys or cut back on seeing friends and family.
‘Worryingly, some are going deeper into debt to keep driving.’
