What's the news?
The average mileage of an Irish driver is growing, according to a new study from Cartell.ie, the vehicle history expert. The data comes from the National Mileage Register and shows that, on average, motorists driving cars ages five years or younger are now doing, on average, 21,028km a year. That compares to a figure of 19,635km when taken in 2008 and is a 7.1 per cent rise - or an extra 1,398km a year.
Cartell.ie looked at the average annual mileage in 2008 of private cars registered between 2003 and 2008 and compared the results to the average annual mileage in 2016 of private cars registered between 2011 and 2016.
While no specific reason can be divined from the raw figures, Cartell.ie is suggesting that it could be down to a number of factors, including the move of the market from petrol to diesel power, which effectively rewards those driving longer distances, or possibly the fact that car finance may have been in short supply in the second period, so those buying a car were doing so for a specific work-based purpose.
It's also possible that, in households with two cars, the newer car is being used more because it's more economical.
John Byrne, Legal and PR Manager, Cartell.ie, said: "what makes the results interesting is that between 2003 and 2008 the economy was performing well throughout most of that period so we might have been expecting to see a decline in mileage in newer cars since then. It's difficult to say with certainty why we're seeing an increase. Possibly the buying trend towards diesel engines has encouraged buyers to use their car more - buoyed by the fact that costs are lower relatively. Another possibility is that finance in the market may have been harder to obtain for some between 2011 and 2016 and those who purchased a newer car then may have had a more definite purpose in mind for their use - work purposes for example."
Anything else?
We reckon the opening of several motorway extensions in that period may also have changed Irish driving habits forever, as it's no longer a chore to drive between our major cities.