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Did you know the average British motorist spends £1,116 on fuel and wastes three days stuck in traffic ever year?

New research for The Car People reveals that despite spending a lot of time in their cars, 87% of Brits believe they have more freedom because of their car.

How much cars cost to run is a big focus for car owners, but despite spending £21 on petrol or diesel per week on average, most car owners believe they have a better social life thanks to owning a car.

Even though people may complain that their car costs them money, more than a third of people choose to drive somewhere that’s less than a mile away.

Motorists don’t seem to spend much on the upkeep of their cars either – 50% of drivers say they spend less than £20 a month on upkeep.

How do men and women differ when it comes to their cars and driving habits? Half of men will happily just go for a drive, whereas almost two thirds of women would never do that.

Women seem to appreciate having a car more than men. More women (70%) than men (58%) think they have a better social life because of their car (58%) but nine out of 10 women also believe that they have more freedom due to having a car.

Women are more family and friend orientated, as they drive to visit people more often than men do. As we get older the amount of time we spend driving to see family increases. However, overall, people drive to see their friends more than they drive to see family.

Over the years our attitudes towards our cars change. Despite their reputation, 18-24 year olds seem to take the most pride in their cars and spend the most on cleaning/valeting their cars each month, whereas driver over 55 only spend £3 a month on cleaning their car. Interestingly it’s people above the age of 55 that feel they have the most freedom due to having a car.

Used car dealership, The Car People, have developed a cool interactive tool which answers all sorts of questions about the cost of car ownership.