Data

Bulk download traffic figures for all regions, all local authorities and all count point locations.

Road traffic data guidance

Data disclaimer

Traffic figures at the regional and national level are robust, and are reported as accredited official statistics. However, DfT’s traffic estimates for individual road links and small areas are less robust, as they are not always based on up-to-date counts made at these locations. Where other more up-to-date sources of traffic data are available (e.g. from local highways authorities), this may provide a more accurate estimate of traffic at these locations.

It is the responsibility of the user to decide which data are most appropriate for their purpose, and if DfT road link level traffic estimates are used, to make a note of the limitations in any published material.

Quality flags in data downloads

DfT’s road link level traffic estimates are calculated using a variety of methods, with some methods likely to produce more accurate estimates than others.

The data tables available to download here contain a column - estimation_method – showing the method used to estimate traffic for each location and year. Figures having an estimation method of “Counted” are likely to be more accurate than those marked as “Estimated”, and the latter should be used with caution.

Metadata

The road traffic statistics metadata PDF document provides guidance on the different datasets available to download for DfT traffic estimates.

Downloads

Data at the count point level

Data at the count point level is available in zipped CSV format covering years 2000 to 2024.

• Count points: Details of each count point.
• Count points:
  • 46,251 records
  • CSV
• Raw counts: The vehicle counts recorded at each count point.
• Raw counts:
  • 5,113,740 records
  • CSV
• Average annual daily flow: The number of vehicles that travel (in all directions) past each count on an average day of the year.
• Average annual daily flow:
  • 578,217 records
  • CSV
• Average annual daily flow by direction: The number of vehicles that travel past each count point on an average day of the year, split by direction of travel.
• Average annual daily flow by direction:
  • 1,062,881 records
  • CSV

Data	Description	Records	Download
Count points	Details of each count point.	46,251	CSV
Raw counts	The vehicle counts recorded at each count point.	5,113,740	CSV
Average annual daily flow	The number of vehicles that travel (in all directions) past each count on an average day of the year.	578,217	CSV
Average annual daily flow by direction	The number of vehicles that travel past each count point on an average day of the year, split by direction of travel.	1,062,881	CSV

Data at the regional level

Data at the regional level is available covering years 1993 to 2024.

• Regional traffic by vehicle type: The total volume (vehicle miles) of traffic across each region for the whole year, for each vehicle type.
• Regional traffic by vehicle type:
  • 352 records
  • CSV
• Regional traffic by road type: The total volume (vehicle miles) of traffic across each region for the whole year, for each road type.
• Regional traffic by road type:
  • 1,623 records
  • CSV

Data	Description	Records	Download
Regional traffic by vehicle type	The total volume (vehicle miles) of traffic across each region for the whole year, for each vehicle type.	352	CSV
Regional traffic by road type	The total volume (vehicle miles) of traffic across each region for the whole year, for each road type.	1,623	CSV

Data at the local authority level

Data at the local authority level is available covering years 1993 to 2024.

Note: The local authority and regional downloads contain the unrounded data. When using this data, it should be presented as rounded to the nearest million vehicle miles.

• Local authority traffic by vehicle class: The total volume (vehicle miles) of traffic across each local authority for the whole year, for each vehicle class.
• Local authority traffic by vehicle class:
  • 6,560 records
  • CSV

Data	Description	Records	Download
Local authority traffic by vehicle class	The total volume (vehicle miles) of traffic across each local authority for the whole year, for each vehicle class.	6,560	CSV

Supporting downloads

A database of the major road network is available in zipped shapefile format for years 2018 to 2024.

• Major Roads Database 2024:
  • Shapefile
• Major Roads Database 2023:
  • Shapefile
• Major Roads Database 2022:
  • Shapefile
• Major Roads Database 2021:
  • Shapefile
• Major Roads Database 2020:
  • Shapefile
• Major Roads Database 2019:
  • Shapefile
• Major Roads Database 2018:
  • Shapefile

Data	Download
Major Roads Database 2024	Shapefile
Major Roads Database 2023	Shapefile
Major Roads Database 2022	Shapefile
Major Roads Database 2021	Shapefile
Major Roads Database 2020	Shapefile
Major Roads Database 2019	Shapefile
Major Roads Database 2018	Shapefile

API

Programmatic access to traffic statistics is available using the REST API. This can be used to filter statistics by various fields.