Motorists leaving cars at home

More than half of British motorists are leaving their cars at home due to the increasing cost of fuel, according to a new survey.

Of the 15,300 people involved in the AA poll, 55 per cent had made a conscious decision to cut back on the number of car journeys they take as a result of pump prices up from 37 per cent in April.

This figure swelled to 77 per cent when including those who had continued to use their car but had cut back their expenditure in other areas.

Almost half of those questioned 47 per cent said they are cutting back on leisure activities such as eating out or going to the cinema, while one in 10 had cut back on car servicing, a decision which could result in more breakdowns.