Two-third of UK drivers cut back on car use or other spending, says AA

theguardian.com:

Nearly two-thirds of motorists either drove less during July, or cut back their spending in other areas, said the AA, as record petrol prices hit drivers in the pocket.

Young people and families felt the greatest impact, according to a survey by the motoring organisation, which warned of a knock-on effect hurting industries such as leisure and retail.

Fuel prices hit record levels in early July, with petrol reaching 191.5p a litre and diesel rising above £2 in some regions, owing to factors including high oil prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and low refining-capacity across Europe.

Motoring groups have also claimed petrol retailers are not passing on the savings they make when wholesale fuel prices come down. While prices have fallen since early July, the AA said stubbornly high prices had already taken an economic toll.

In a survey of more than 15,000 members, nearly two-thirds (64%) said they had cut back either on car use or other discretionary spending. That was a significant increase on the 43% who said they were doing so at the time of the last survey in November, when prices at the pump were 45p a litre cheaper.

A quarter of younger drivers said they had run up debt or turned to family or friends for help in response to higher fuel costs, the AA said. It said 16% of “family-age” (25-34) people had turned to loans or credit cards and that 14% had been supported by family and friends.

Among those drivers cutting back on areas other than fuel, 81% said they were eating out less and 67% said they had reduced their spending on weekly shopping. That 67% increased to 76% among drivers in the lowest-income group.

However, actual car use had remained at 95% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the AA. It said people