What Is Britain's Most Hated Aspect of Life on the Road?
An ‘epidemic of potholes’ has become the UK’s new biggest bugbear when driving on the road, according to new research.
A survey conducted by Mercedes-Benz Vans for its ‘Under the Bonnet’ initiative found that a large majority of drivers considered the scourge of poorly maintained roads are now the ‘most hated aspect of life on the road’.
Over a million potholes are currently recorded on British roads and are estimated to have been responsible for £1.7bn in damage last year – up 149 per cent from an estimated £684m just a decade earlier.
As a comparison, parking fines – traditionally the least popular aspect of a life on the road – cost £1.2bn from the pockets of drivers in the UK in 2024.
Indeed, such is the issue with potholes that almost a quarter (22 per cent) of those surveyed revealed they have forked out up to £500 on vehicle repairs as a result of striking potholes.
Discussing potholes has even overtaken football and weather as a top ice-breaker in conversations, while a quarter admit to being in a WhatsApp group that warns others about them.
That’s not to say potholes are the only burning issue for drivers in the UK with others identifying holiday traffic jams and those parking fines also highlighted. However, a respective 30 per cent and 24 per cent say they would rather sit in traffic and be hit with a fine than have to contend with potholes.
The report – which looks at the challenges faced by modern day van drivers – also showed a third would rather pay vehicle tax than hit a pothole, 23 per cent prefer to take a long journey with kids and 22 per cent would rather drive to see the in-laws.
Iain Forsyth, Managing Director at Mercedes-Benz Vans UK said: “Unfortunately we can’t solve traffic jams on Bank Holidays or parking tickets.
“But what we can do is provide complete reliability for drivers through our Service24h. This means van drivers don’t have to worry as much about life on the road - they know they can rely on us if they hit problems at any time of the day or night.”
