Drivers absorb rising fuel costs as UK traffic levels stay steady – Co-op Insurance

Traffic and average speeds on England’s strategic road network increased in March and April, despite a surge in fuel prices, suggesting drivers are having to absorb rising costs, according to Co-op Insurance.

The analysis, based on Freedom of Information data obtained by Co-op Insurance from National Highways, showed that motorists covered the equivalent of 15 million additional vehicle miles per week, on average, between weeks 10 and 17 in 2026, compared to the same period in 2025.

This represents an almost 1% year-on-year rise in average traffic volumes during this period to 1.73 billion vehicle miles per week.

This came despite Government figures revealing average petrol prices rose by a fifth (20%) and average diesel prices increased by a third (34%) during this period.

Petrol prices rose from around 132p to 158p per litre, while diesel increased from around 142p to more than 190p per litre during the same period.

Moreover, traffic levels were also nearly 8% higher in the eight weeks after the conflict began compared to the preceding eight weeks of 2026, with average weekly traffic volume rising from 1.61 billion vehicle miles to 1.73 billion.

There was a similar 8.5% increase in traffic volume in March and April 2025.

In spring 2025, motorists benefited from petrol and diesel prices falling by just over 4%, whereas in 2026 they continued to take to the roads despite fuel prices rising sharply.