The British are more dependent on their cars than any other European nationality. They are reluctant to catch buses and will leave their cars behind only if there is a convenient train. Only the Portuguese walk less, a survey has found.

The Government’s Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT) studied travel patterns in major European countries to learn how to reduce congestion and improve quality of life.

A previous study by the commission showed that Britain had the worst congestion in Europe and the longest average daily commuting time. The average British worker spends 46 minutes a day commuting, ten minutes more than French workers and twice the Italians.

The study shows that Britain has much lower levels of car ownership than other large European countries but that its cars are more intensively used. There were 463 cars for every 1,000 Britons in 2004, compared with 581 cars in Italy, 550 in Germany and 503 in France.

Yet despite being less likely to own a car, Britons rely on them more heavily. Cars accounted for 89 per cent of the total distance travelled by motorised transport in Britain in 2003. In Austria and Ireland, buses and trains accounted for almost a quarter of the distance travelled.

The study gave warning that congestion in Britain would become much worse if car ownership rose to the European average of 510 cars per 1,000 people. Britain already has more cars and more people per mile of motorway than any other European country except Ireland, according to separate figures published by the European Commission.

There were 8,000 cars and 17,000 people per kilometre of motorway in Britain, compared with 2,500 cars and 5,000 people in France and 3,500 cars and 7,000 people across the 15 European Union states before enlargement in 2004.

The starkest difference between Britain and the rest of Europe was in the level of cycling. The CfIT study found that the average Briton cycled 75km (46 miles) a year, while the average European cycled almost three times as far, covering 189km. Even the Germans, who cycled 291km, were put to shame by the Danes and Dutch, who cycled 936km and 848km respectively. The study said: “The UK weather is no excuse — Denmark has a very similar climate. It is also interesting to note that, as leaders in more active travel, Denmark and the Netherlands have obesity rates of less than half that of the UK.”

One of the few areas in which Britain set a good example to the rest of Europe was in road safety. Yet even there it has allowed itself to be overtaken by the Netherlands and Sweden. There were 5.6 deaths for every 100,000 people in Britain in 2004, compared with 4.9 in the Netherlands and 5.3 in Sweden. Britain also has a poor record for pedestrian safety, with pedestrians accounting for more than a fifth of its road deaths, the highest proportion in Europe.

But British drivers are more likely to carry passengers, contributing to comparatively low carbon dioxide emissions per person from transport. Only the Netherlands, Germany, Greece and Portugal have lower emissions.

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