The Department for Transport has today published National Statistics on Traffic in Great Britain, including analyses by vehicle type and road class, for the fourth quarter of 2006 and 2006 as a whole.

These provisional figures indicate that estimated traffic levels rose by 1.3 per cent between Q4 2005 and Q4 2006. Traffic is provisionally estimated to have risen by 1.0 per cent between 2005 and 2006 as a whole.

Other key results include:

Provisional fourth quarter 2006 figures

Between the fourth quarters of 2005 and 2006:

* Car traffic increased by 2 per cent

* Light van traffic was virtually unchanged

* Goods vehicle traffic was virtually unchanged

* Traffic on motorways increased by 2 per cent

* Traffic on rural A roads and minor rural roads increased by 2 per cent and 3 per cent respectively

* Traffic on urban A roads and minor urban roads was virtually unchanged

Provisional 2006 annual figures

Comparing 2006 with 2005 as a whole, the provisional estimates show that:

* Car traffic was 1 per cent higher

* Light van traffic increased by 3 per cent

* Goods vehicle traffic was 1 per cent higher

* Traffic on motorways rose by 1 per cent while traffic on rural A roads and minor rural roads was 2 per cent higher

* Traffic on urban A roads and minor urban roads was virtually unchanged