How do I estimate my yearly mileage?

Three ways: multiply a typical week's driving by 52; take two odometer or MOT readings and scale the gap between them up to a full year; or add up your commute plus other regular trips. Two real odometer readings a few months apart is the most accurate.

What is the average yearly mileage in the UK?

Roughly 7,000 miles a year is typical for a UK car, though it varies widely by how you use it. Use this calculator to estimate your own figure from what you actually drive.

Can I use my MOT certificates to work out annual mileage?

Yes. Each MOT records the odometer reading on the test date. The mileage between two MOTs, scaled to 365 days, gives a solid annual estimate.

Free tool · estimate your annual miles

Yearly Mileage Calculator

Work out roughly how many miles you drive in a year — for an insurance quote, a tax-mileage estimate, or just to know. Three ways; pick whichever numbers you have. Works in your browser. No signup. No tracking.

Short answer: estimate your annual mileage three ways — multiply a typical week by 52, take two odometer or MOT readings and scale the gap up to a full year, or add up your commute plus other trips. Two real odometer readings a few months apart is the most accurate; a typical week is the quickest.

Estimate it

How do you want to work it out? Pick whichever numbers you actually have to hand.

Miles in a typical week A normal, representative week — not your busiest or quietest.

Estimated annual mileage

miles a year

An estimate from the numbers you enter — not a guarantee. For an insurance quote, give the insurer your best honest figure. For a tax claim, you need your actual business trips, not an estimate. This is not tax or insurance advice.

The three methods, and when to use each

A typical week × 52
Quickest. Think of a normal week's driving and multiply by 52. Good for a ballpark; weak if your driving is seasonal (a summer caravan, a winter commute).
Two odometer / MOT readings
Most accurate. Take the mileage now and the mileage a few months ago (or from your last MOT), and scale the gap to a full year. The longer the gap, the better the estimate. Your MOT history lists past readings for free.
Commute + other trips
Build it up: commute each way × 2 × days × working weeks, plus a typical week of everything else. Good if your driving is mostly routine.

More detail, plus a worked example, in the Notebook: How to estimate your yearly mileage.

What's the figure for?

An annual-mileage estimate has three common uses, and they need different things from you:

Car insurance. Insurers ask for your expected annual mileage. Under-stating it to lower the premium can void a claim — give your honest best estimate.
A tax mileage claim. This estimate tells you roughly what a year looks like, but HMRC wants your actual business trips, not a yearly guess. For that, see the mileage claim calculator (45p/55p HMRC rates and the rest).
Planning & resale. Knowing your real annual mileage helps with lease limits, service intervals, and what your car's worth.

If you'd rather not estimate

Estimating is fine for insurance. But if you need the real number — every business trip, the right rate, an HMRC-ready total — that's what an app is for.

Capture every mile, not guess at the year.

Mileage Tracker by Keepwright is in development. When it ships it will log every trip automatically, split business from personal, and total it properly — and you pay for it once, not every year.

Read the product page →

From the Notebook

How to estimate your yearly mileage — the methods, with a worked example
UK mileage claim calculator — turn business miles into a tax figure
The real maths — pay-once vs subscription