Cost-hit drivers may abandon cars for good

As many as 38 per cent of drivers surveyed said they would give up motoring entirely within a year if prices at the pumps rose at the same rate as they have for the past 12 months.

An increase of 14p to 15p a litre would lead to 85 per cent of drivers changing their lifestyles, the survey by car valuation company Glass.co.uk found.

Only two per cent of the 2,000 motorists polled felt the price of fuel was reasonable; 75 per cent said it was “out of control” or worse. A rise of 14p to 15p a litre would mean 10 per cent spending less on food at supermarkets and 11 per cent socialising less.

The poll revealed 37 per cent were spending more on fuel than on utility bills. The average amount now being spent on fuel was £102 a month.

Glass’s managing editor Adrian Rushmore said: “Brits are reaching breaking point when it comes to petrol and diesel prices.”