The number of licensed vehicles in Great Britain has more than tripled in the last four decades. In 1961 there were less than 9 million vehicles. In 1981 there were 19.3 million, and by 2003 there were 31.2million.

Private cars accounted for an increasing proportion of this total - 59 per cent in 1961, 77 per cent in 1981, and again up to 80 per cent in 2003.

The proportion of young adults holding licences fell over the last decade. Fifty four per cent of men aged 17 to 20 held a licence in 1992-1994 and 42 percent of women, whilst in 2003 34 per cent of men and 24 percent of women held a license.

This may be due to the driving test becoming more difficult, and/or the introduction of the theory element to the test. Test pass rates were 47 per cent among men and 40 per cent among women in 2002/03, compared with 56 and 46 per cent, respectively, in 1992.

Growth in licence holding has slowed in recent years. In 1975-1976, 48 per cent of British residents aged 17 and over held a licence. This grew to 57 per cent in 1985-1986 and 69 per cent in 1996-1998. By 2003 it had levelled out at 70 per cent.

Men aged between 30 and 59 are the most likely to hold licences. Around nine in ten did so in 2003. Women aged 70 and over were the least likely, with less than three in ten holding a full car driving licence.

The number of women holding a full car driving licence more than doubled between 1975-76 and 2003, to 14.4 million. The number of men with a licence rose by only a third over the same period, to 17.9 million.

In 2003, 61 per cent of women in Great Britain held a full car driving licence, compared with 81 per cent of men. This compares with 29 per cent of women and 69 per cent of men in 1975-1976.

The number of licensed cars on Britain's roads continued to increase to nearly 28 million in 2003, over four times the number in 1961. (Table 12.9) Latest information on driving licences

The increase in the number of motor vehicles, and the greater distances travelled by individuals, has led to large increases in the average daily flow of motor vehicles. Between 1981 and 1991 average traffic flows rose by 41 per cent. Growth slowed in the 1990s, but daily traffic flows still increased by 17 per cent in the ten years to 2003.