Stat attack! It's 2012 in numbers

We've got a BIG BOOK OF NUMBERS here at TG and we've just had a reflective flick through. It seems that the last 31,624,400 seconds (that's this year for you non-pendulum peerers) have provided some cracking stats.

So good that we've compiled the best big numbers, small numbers and ridiculous numbers for your pleasure... so if you're arithmophobic, don't click ahead.

The annual cost to UK drivers of travelling backwards in cars, according to new research. Over 200,000 reversing accidents were recorded last year, each costing £2,100 on average.

of Britons feel that the Government is ‘not on the side of the motorist'. The other 20 per cent presumably weren't able to tick any box, having sold their writing hand to pay for petrol.

The price paid at auction for the Gulf Oil race suit worn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans. The suit was expected to fetch around $200,000. 

of Honda drivers submitted insurance claims for pothole damage in the last year, compared to 12.2 per cent of Chrysler owners. Fear potholes? Buy a Honda.

The top speed that American inventor Waldo Stakes plans to reach in his land-speed record car. The current land-speed record, remember, stands at 763mph. Richard Noble's Bloodhound is aiming for 1000mph. Best of luck, Waldo

The price paid by the city of Trollhättan and the Wallenberg Foundation to save Saab's 120-car museum. The adminstrator acting for the Swedish firm had attempted to sell off the historic collection piece-by-piece, but the museum of Saab's greatest hits will now remain intact.

Number of Citroen C6s sold in the UK in 2011, down from 52 in 2010. 

Cars sold worldwide by GM in 2011, taking back its place as the globe's biggest manufacturer from Toyota, which sold 7.9 million cars in the same period.

Number of times a 28-year-old learner driver from Leicestershire has failed his driving theory test, according to figures released by the DSA. The unnamed man has spent nearly £3k on theory test fees alone.

Rolls-Royces sold last year, making 2011 the Goodwood firm's most successful year in history. Global financial downturn, anyone?

Distance travelled by American couple John and Helen Taylor on a single tank of fuel in their 2.0-litre VW Passat TDI, presumably setting a new record for marital disputes on the way...

Land-speed record for a motorised toilet, set in Australia last month by stuntwoman Jolene Van Vugt. And no, we don't know how many runs it took her...

Speeding fines racked up in six months by a BMW driver in Dubai. The woman, in her twenties, blamed her three-hour daily commute for the dozens of tickets.

Amount of free petrol offered by GM dealers in Shanghai to anyone buying a Sierra Denali pick-up. With a light right boot, that should be good for around 50,000 miles...

Top speed hit by a ‘lightly modified' 2000bhp Hennessey Ford GT at the end of a standard half-mile. So that's accelerating from zero to 343kph in 804 metres. Yowch.

Predicted power-to-weight ratio of Ferrari's Enzo replacement, courtesy of a rumoured 800bhp V12 with KERS. We're looking forward to driving this...  

MG's contribution to parent company SAIC's record sales of 4,010,000 cars in 2011. The once-proud Brit firm - now owned by Chinese giant Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp - sold 360 cars last year.

British driving licence-holders over the age of 100, according to DVLA figures. The roll call of motoring centenarians includes three 105-year- olds and one 106-year-old.

Cost of damage caused to UK cars by misleading satnav directions. The Welsh town of Aberystwyth was identified as a blackspot of satnav anger, with 75 per cent of locals admitting to shouting at their devices.

Cost per litre of petrol delivered to US forces stationed in Afghanistan, according to a new Pentagon report. The average US soldier uses 83 litres of fuel a day, meaning a daily fuel bill of over £5,000. Per man.

Maximum rate councils can now charge utility companies for overrunning on their roadworks schedule by more than three days. Previously, the top fine was £2,500 per day. Shop the slackers!

Total cost of penalty fines dished out through the post to UK motorists by private companies in 2011, up from £21m just five years ago. And this doesn't even include fines slapped on windscreens.

F1 laps completed by Jarno Trulli, in a career that spanned 252 starts and one race win. The ex-Toyota and Lotus driver racked up 246.5 points in his 14 years in F1.

Of men having extramarital affairs own BMWs, according to research by a leading ‘illicit dating site'. Just 0.28 per cent of the 640,000 cheating husbands polled drove Seats or Renaults.

Extra gallons of petrol used by US cars each year due to average adult weight increasing by nearly two stone since 1960.

Of accidents caused by ‘pressing the wrong pedal' are committed by women, says new American research. Drivers under the age of 20 and over the age of 76 were found to be most likely to hit the gas instead of the brakes.

Estimated cost of Peugeot's 908 HDi Le Mans car, which went up for auction this year. One careful owner, some wear and tear...

Residual value of a new Vauxhall Zafira after three years, making it the quickest-depreciating mainstream car on sale in the UK. The Audi Q5, at the other end of the scale, retained 72.5 per cent of its value after three years.