The UK Department for Transport has published a new dataset of standard errors for selected National Travel Survey statistics, dated 10 September 2026. The release comprises data tables that set out measures of uncertainty for a range of headline travel estimates drawn from the National Travel Survey.

Measures of uncertainty are an essential companion to headline figures. By reporting standard errors, the Department for Transport allows analysts to assess how much random variation might affect estimates of journeys, distances and modal shares reported by the survey.

The tables cover "selected" National Travel Survey statistics, rather than every item collected in the survey. The Department's description of the release identifies the content as data tables of uncertainty measures rather than a methodological revision or a new survey round.

Why standard errors matter

Standard errors enable users to judge whether apparent changes in survey figures reflect real shifts or are plausibly due to sampling variability. That distinction is important when interpreting year-on-year changes or comparing different population groups.

In practice, the availability of uncertainty measures helps transport planners, researchers and commentators to avoid over-interpreting small movements in survey estimates. Where standard errors are large relative to the estimate, confidence in a real change should be tempered.

How the tables will be used

The data tables make it possible to calculate confidence intervals and to conduct formal tests of significance when comparing estimates. They also permit more cautious and evidence-led commentary in policy documents and media reporting.

The Department's release does not replace the National Travel Survey itself; it supplements the survey's published statistics by making the measures of variability explicit. Users of the NTS can now combine point estimates and their associated uncertainty measures when presenting findings.

Analysts seeking to assess trends, subgroup comparisons or the robustness of survey-derived indicators will find the tables a practical tool. The Department for Transport notes the material as data tables of measures of uncertainty for selected statistics from the National Travel Survey, and the dataset is dated 10 September 2026.

For researchers who rely on the NTS for modelling or for informing policy, the addition of standard error tables should increase transparency. Clear reporting of uncertainty is fundamental to sound interpretation of sample surveys and to setting appropriate expectations about the precision of reported figures.

A short bullet list of the release's factual elements:

  • Publisher: UK Department for Transport.
  • Item title: National Travel Survey standard errors.
  • Item date: 10 September 2026.
  • Content: data tables containing measures of uncertainty for selected National Travel Survey statistics.

The Department's publication presents the data tables as a resource for those handling National Travel Survey outputs. The tables are likely to be used alongside the NTS headline statistics to provide a fuller picture of the reliability of published estimates.