For example, the first...

For example, the first claim is that "the average annual distance travelled by residents in Great Britain rose by five per cent to 6,800 miles in 2004". But after carefully studying the full report for several hours, the facts weren"t so depressing. The truth is we each did an average of 6,762 miles last year (that"s motorists and non-motorists). So we travelled less in 2004 than at the end of the last century and the start of this one.

In the next breath, the DfT talked about "a 12 per cent increase in the average length of trip". But where this figure comes from is a mystery. Truth is, our average journeys in 2004 were actually shorter than in 2003, and identical in length to those in 2002. What"s more, the number of trips last year was at its lowest level for a quarter of a century... and that"s something the DfT - surprise, surprise - failed to highlight.

Ah, but there are far more of us driving cars, I hear you argue. However, the DfT figures don"t back up this view, as the number of people with driving licences is lower in 2004 than 2003. Car ownership isn"t rocketing at the rate many would have you believe, either, with the number of one-vehicle households staying at 44-45 per cent, as it has done for the past couple of decades. Homes with two or more cars increased year on year from the mid-Eighties to the early 2000s but again, the trend seems to be in reverse. There are now fewer houses, comparing 2004 with 2003, with multiple cars.

Besides, owning or having access to several vehicles doesn"t mean they"re all being driven at once, or that the number of miles a person drives each year goes up! A motorist who has a handful of cars can only drive one at a time, and leaves the rest at home where they cause no pollution or congestion. The DfT confirmed that in the past decade or so, annual car mileages have dropped from 9,690 to 9,020.

Also, the DfT confirmed what we know but the car-haters refuse to admit - that motorists aren"t driving round in circles for the hell of it. We use our cars more for work than anything else. In other words, they"re vital tools that allow us to earn a living. And guess what? The number of commuting miles we did last year was down on 2003.

Whether you"re doing your job, shopping, giving friends a lift or pursuing leisure activities, don"t feel guilty for using your car - as journey numbers, distances travelled, mileages and the number of people holding licences are all down, not up.