Spiralling petrol costs are doing little to diminish the British public’s dependence on cars, according to a survey released by business advisory firm KPMG.

The survey, undertaken by on-line polling organization YouGov, shows that while the prices are of concern to 83% of those questioned, they are still not high enough for car-owners to consider using other means of transport.

Mike Steventon, UK head of automotive at KPMG, says: “The British public is prepared to accept a lot of pain in terms of rising running costs before they consider ditching their beloved cars.”

Of the 2000 car-owners covered by the survey, just 13% indicated that they would consider reducing the number of cars owned by their household as a direct result of rising petrol prices.