Nearly half of UK drivers would consider giving up car ownership

Covertime surveyed 1,532 UK adults between May and June 2026 via paid social and UK competition sites, of whom 1,120 held a full driving licence. Covertime customers were excluded from the sample.

49% of licence holders said they would consider giving up car ownership permanently, if they could always borrow a car when they needed one. That figure rises noticeably among younger drivers and lower-income households - the groups for whom the cost of owning a car weighs most heavily against their income.

Tom Warsop, CEO of Covertime, reflected on the findings: "Owning a car is a bigger financial commitment than it used to be. More people are asking whether access to a car is what they actually need, rather than ownership. Borrowing a car properly insured has never been easier, and we are seeing that shift happen in real time."

ONS Consumer Prices Index data for April 2026 shows transport costs rising 4.5% year on year, with motor fuel up 23.0% - the steepest increase since September 2022. Combined with persistently high insurance premiums and rising parking costs in most UK cities, the total annual cost of owning and running a car has become harder to justify for drivers who do not rely on it daily.

DfT National Travel Survey 2024 data shows that 22% of UK households currently have no car at all - rising to 40% in the lowest income bracket compared with 14% in the highest. Car-free living is not a marginal lifestyle choice. It is the practical reality for millions of UK households, and the proportion is likely to rise if ownership costs continue to increase.

Our UK car ownership statistics page maps where ownership is highest and lowest across the country, using ONS Census 2021 data.

The key condition in the survey - "if you could always borrow a car when you needed it" - is significant. The barrier to ditching the car has never been cost alone. It has been uncertainty about access. Give up your car, and what do you do when you genuinely need one?

That uncertainty is narrowing. Car clubs operate across most UK cities. Borrowing a car from a friend or family member is common. And the insurance question - the practical obstacle that used to make borrowing complicated - has a straightforward answer. Temporary car insurance lets a driver cover themselves on a vehicle they do not own, from one hour to several weeks, comprehensively, without affecting the car owner's policy.

For anyone considering giving up their car or already living without one, the most important step is understanding the insurance rules around borrowing.

The assumption that a car owner's annual policy extends to anyone they allow to drive is almost always wrong. Standard UK car insurance names specific drivers. A friend or family member driving your car without being named on the policy, or without their own cover on that vehicle, is driving uninsured - regardless of your permission. The minimum penalty is a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points.

The practical answer is temporary car insurance for a borrowed vehicle - a policy in the borrower's name, on the specific vehicle, covering the exact period needed. It is comprehensive cover and does not affect the car owner's no claims discount. Our guide to can I drive someone else's car covers the legal position in full.