9208.0 - Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia, Oct 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 21/10/2004   
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MEDIA RELEASE

October 21, 2004
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
155/2004

200 billion kilometres travelled on Australian roads in 2003

More than 200 billion kilometres were travelled on Australian roads in the 12 months ended 31 October 2003 up from 192.2 billion kilometres in the previous year, according to figures published today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Of all vehicles on the road, eight out of 10 were passenger vehicles. These accounted for three-quarters (75%) of the total distance travelled. Passenger vehicles travelled an average of 14,600 kilometres for each vehicle, roughly equivalent to doing two return trips from Sydney to Perth. The average for articulated trucks was more than six times greater at 92,700 kilometres per vehicle.

New South Wales had the largest share of total kilometres travelled (31%) and the largest number of registered vehicles (4.0 million). The average kilometres travelled for vehicles in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland were each above the national average of 15,300 kilometres.

Vehicles used a total of 27.6 billion litres of fuel at an average rate of 13.7 litres per hundred kilometres. Unleaded petrol accounted for over half of all fuel consumed during the period at 16.3 billion litres. Diesel use was 8.0 billion litres at 24.7 litres per hundred kilometres.

Passenger vehicles used a total of 15.3 billion litres of petrol. Unleaded petrol accounted for 92% of this. Diesel was the preferred fuel of freight vehicles comprising 69% of all fuel used by these vehicles.

Passenger vehicles using petrol consumed on average 11.0 litres per hundred kilometres, while those using diesel fuel used an average of 13.9 litres per hundred kilometres.

Further details are in Survey of Motor Vehicle Use (cat. no. 9208.0).