The table illustrates the average number of miles adults travelled per year in 1977 and 2007, in terms of seven different modes of transport.
Overall, there were increases in the use of cars, trains and taxis by adults in both years, whereas the opposite was true in the cases of the other forms of transport listed. Additionally, while cars remained by far the most popular type of travel, bicycles and motorcycles were the least common throughout.
In 1977, adults predominantly traveled by car, with an average distance of 3500 miles. This was significantly more than trains and buses, recording 900 and 800 miles respectively. At the same time, adults walked an average of 400 miles, twice the distance covered by taxis, while bicycles and motorbikes were used in equal measure, at an average of 100 miles for the year.
By 2007, the average distance covered by car had more than doubled, reaching 7100 miles and remaining the highest figure. Taxis and trains followed similar increasing trends, with use of the former rising fourfold, whereas the latter grew by only 100 miles. In contrast, travel by bus and foot experienced declines of 300 and 100 miles, in that order, while minimal changes were observed in the distances traveled by bicycles and motorbikes, both just under 100 miles.