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Motorists Spend Billions On Their Cars
Updated: 09:19, Friday April 27, 2007
British motorists are spending more than £51bn a year just to keep their vehicles on the road.
And more than nine in ten of those questioned said the cost of running a car had risen in the last five years - by more than £400 a year for some.
Repair costs
climbingOne fifth of car owners admit to delaying or avoiding paying for things like insurance and parking fines so they can cut their growing motoring bill, says a report for insurer Zurich.
Nearly a third of the motorists surveyed said they were so fed up with these rising expenses they would walk instead of drive.
A quarter would use public transport more often and 23% would get a smaller car if the cost of keeping vehicles on the road continues to increase.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, three-quarters said they were against Government proposals to introduce road charging, with 78% arguing this would be a way of generating more tax.
"The cost of motoring has risen dramatically over the past few years, putting drivers under increasing financial pressure," Zurich Insurance's Mark Searles said.
"The most worrying findings from our research are those that show some drivers are risking their own and others' safety in a bid to save money."