Our AA/Populus panel reflects the views of motorists...The cost of fuel is top of drivers’ concerns. The number of drivers adversely affected by fuel prices is now running at an all time high of 76%. Despite the Government ditching the proposed fuel duty increase at the budget, 42% of drivers still blame the Government for high fuel prices.

—Edmund King, AA President

Three-quarters of the report’s 150,000 respondents(over the course of 12 monthly polls) indicated they were cutting back on spending and/or driving because of rising fuel prices.

According to the latest annual RAC Report on Motoring, the environment ranks low on drivers’ priority lists, with 49% claiming price was the biggest barrier to them getting a greener vehicle, up from just over a third last year. The report says that 30% would only buy an alternatively powered car if it was cheaper to run than a conventional one (up from 23% in 2010).

The RAC responded by urging the Government and manufacturers to provide more information on the vehicle lifetime cost savings that are achievable as well as the environmental benefits, while also considering how car buyers can make the initial purchase of low carbon vehicles more accessible, through the potential extension of existing Government grants and exploring alternatives to the traditional methods of pricing and buying a car.