THE COST of keeping a car on the road has far outstripped the rate of inflation over the last decade, according to new research.
It now costs an average of £2,395 a year for motorists to insure, service tax and fuel a vehicle, according to price comparison company uSwitch.com.
It added that if costs had stayed in line with inflation, drivers would now be paying only £1,787.
The company also said that if running costs continued to rise at the current rate, by 2017 motorists would be paying an average of £3,659 - or a national spending figure total of £114 billion - to keep their cars on the road.
The survey showed:
:: Motorists now spend a total of almost £75 billion to keep their cars on the road
:: Car maintenance now costs 11%, or £228, a year more compared to last year and 78%, or £1,051, more than in 1997
:: Since 1997 the cost of car insurance has outstripped inflation by 29%, with average premiums increasing from £311 to £535 a year
:: Vehicle excise duty (VED) car tax has seen the smallest increase, with motorists now paying just 2% more than they did a decade ago
:: If prices had increased in line with inflation, an MOT would now cost just £38 a year - not the £50 motorists currently spend
:: In 1997 it cost £854 a year to fill a car with petrol. This has now increased 94% to £1,657 a year, £521 more than if prices had stayed in line with the rate of inflation
Ashton Berkhauer, of uSwitch.com, said: "The Government has been accused of being anti-motorist and there is little in our report to persuade Britain's drivers otherwise.
"The cost of petrol, insurance and servicing has soared, far outstripping the rate of inflation. Collectively, British drivers are forking out £19 billion more a year than they would have had to if the cost of keeping a car on the road had simply increased in line with inflation over the last decade.
"The rising cost of motoring could potentially lead to more uninsured drivers on our roads and people invalidating their insurance by driving unsafe vehicles as they can no longer afford proper maintenance. For some, the increasing cost will price them off the road altogether."
