Petrol prices have rocketed this year. A litre of unleaded now costs an average of 74.2p at the pump, according to the Automobile Association (AA). Rising international oil prices and a weak euro are behind the rises, which AA calculates could add as much as £24 to a monthly fuel bill.

Motoring taxes - fuels, Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) and VAT - are contributing £3 billion aggregate to the Exchequer this year, says the AA. Despite the costs, new car sales of 250,000 are projected for next year. In 1998, this numbered just 94,500.