Britain’s roads were at their busiest ever in 2015, when total traffic overtook the pre-financial crisis peak.

Figures released by the Department for Transport show that vehicles travelled 317.8bn miles on British roads last year, edging past the previous record from 2007.

Traffic grew 2.2% over the year, with vans accounting for most of the growth.

The growing coverage of online shopping and home delivery appears to have brought a surge in light goods vehicles on to the road, up 6% in a year and 10% on rural roads. The data showed that 72% more vans were on the roads than in 1995.

Congestion has pushed average speeds lower, with vehicles on local A roads in the morning peak averaging 23.4mph across the country, and just 15mph on London A-roads.

The DfT said the higher traffic reflected growth in the UK economy, while lower fuel prices may also have contributed.

Edmund King, the president of motorists’ association the AA, said: “It is good that lower fuel prices are helping drivers and the economy but not so good that we are seeing the morning commute getting significantly worse on local A roads.

“Traffic growth is Jekyll and Hyde – it shows a buoyant economy but means our roads start to clog up unless we take action.”

King said the trends also showed the great impact that high fuel prices has had in reducing traffic since 2008, but he added: “The lower prices at the pumps today should not be a signal for the chancellor to increase fuel duty and hence stall the economy again.”