Birmingham “is worst city to drive in” says poll

In a poll of British drivers, Birmingham has been voted the worst city to drive around in the UK, closely followed by London, with Bristol coming in third.

The team at offer and discount website www.VoucherCodesPro.co.uk conducted the research as part of an ongoing study into Britons on the road. 2,240 British drivers and 18 and over, all of whom stated that they had been driving on UK roads for a minimum of two years, were quizzed about their driving habits and what they liked and disliked about driving.

Initially all respondents were asked ‘What is your favourite aspect of driving?’ to which the most common responses were ‘the freedom to go anywhere, anytime’ (37 per cent) and ‘feeling independent; not having to rely on others or public transport’ (35 per cent). All respondents were then asked what their least favourite aspect of driving was, to which ‘the costs involved’ (42 per cent) and ‘driving new or complicated routes’ (33 per cent) topped the list.

All respondents were then asked what they considered to be the worst cities to drive around within the UK. When provided with a list of possible responses and told to select all that applied, the top five worst cities to drive in were revealed as follows:

1. Birmingham – 22 per cent
2. London -21 per cent
3. Bristol – 17 per cent
4. Liverpool – 15 per cent
5. Cambridge – 14 per cent

Respondents were also asked to elaborate on what aspect of these cities in particular made them not want to drive there, with 57 per cent of those who stated Birmingham citing the Gravelly Hill Interchange (Spaghetti Junction) and 49 per cent of those who stated London citing the M25.

When asked what issues they had encountered whilst driving in these cities, the most common issues were revealed as ‘getting lost’ (34 per cent), ‘getting stuck in heavy traffic jams’ (28 per cent) and ‘experiencing road rage’ (21 per cent), whilst a further 8 per cent admitted that their car was damaged while at these destinations.

George Charles, spokesperson for www.VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, made the following comments: “Driving in a new place for the first time can always be a daunting task, but no more so than when your route takes you through Spaghetti Junction, or into a long queue on the M25 while trying to manoeuvre your way around London. It’s great to tackle these though, and not let the fears and worries put you off. Always keep alert, stay fully focused on the road and what’s going on around you, and where possible have a sat nav installed to help you navigate the lanes and turnings.”