Embargo: Not before 0001 hrs on Friday August 24 2007

RECKLESS ROAD SKILLS TOPS LIST OF MOTORISTS’ PET HATES

MSN Cars survey reveals 57% of drivers detest driving in the UK

With the impending nightmare of Bank Holiday traffic upon us this weekend, new research reveals that over half of motorists (57%) find driving around the UK a “miserable experience”.

MSN Cars (www.msn.co.uk/cars), one of the UK’s leading motoring websites, surveyed over 2,200 UK motorists to discover their motoring pet hates, find out how they really feel about driving in the UK and also reveal their opinions about the proposed road pricing scheme on the Government agenda.

UK’s Top 5 Driving Hates

1	Bad driving	Other drivers’ inadequate and reckless road skills are motorists’ number one nuisance with 29% naming them as the most irritating factor in driving.
2	Speed cameras	Being flashed (by speed cameras that is) came in at number two, topping 23% of respondents biggest motoring bug bears.
3	Congestion	Bumper to bumper traffic is as much part of British Bank Holidays as lazy lie-ins and trips to the seaside. With that in mind, one in five motorists (19%) will be dreading the coming weekend as congestion was their top motoring hate.
4	Price of petrol	15% declared petrol and diesel prices the most infuriating thing about driving, with soaring prices meaning more and more are finding themselves out of pocket.
5	Parking	Double yellows, traffic wardens and manoeuvring into tiny spaces. With so many parking pitfalls, it’s no wonder that nearly one in ten drivers (7%) pinpointed it as their biggest driving bugbear.

Britain’s Most Miserable Motorists

Yorkshire motorists have the most miserable time of it, with nearly two thirds (65%) admitting they hate driving in the UK. However, over the border in Scotland, motorists are happier than elsewhere in the UK, with just 45% describing driving as dismal.

Tom Evans, the manager of MSN Cars, says: “Bank holidays can often be a gloomy time for motorists, especially when they have to contend with terrible driving, road works and congestion on route. We would recommend motorists take advantage of the resources available online at MSN Cars - including route planning, travel advice and information - to help make their journeys more bearable.”

The Road Pricing Debate Rages On

The survey also reveals that, while the concept of road pricing remains unpopular, with 86% declaring themselves against it, this figure drops to 57% if the tax was proved to be genuinely successful and not simply a revenue generating scheme. 

Tom comments: “The MSN Cars poll offers a valid insight into the minds of UK motorists and the results are revealing, suggesting that if correctly presented, a properly hypothecated road use charge that puts its revenues into road improvements and alternatives to private transport might win wider support. People may not like the idea of road charging – but they don’t want to spend increasing chunks of their lives in traffic jams either.”

Welsh voters proved most in favour of such a scheme if proved to affect congestion (58%), while voters in the North East and the Midlands remained heartily against road pricing, however successful it proved to be.

To find out more about MSN cars, general route planning and travel advice go to: www.msn.co.uk/cars.

Ends

For more information, please call or email:

Sophie Jackson, sophie.jackson@redconsultancy.com, 0207 025 6412

John Megaughin, john.megaughin@redconsultancy.com, 020 7025 6414

Notes to Editors

About the Research

2,242 people were surveyed in an online poll at MSN Cars - http://www.msn.co.uk/cars.

About MSN Cars

MSN Cars is one of the UK’s leading general interest motoring websites. According to data from independent ratings agency ComScore for July 2007, MSN Cars received 1.094 million unique users, generating 12 million page-views. Visit MSN Cars at http://www.msn.co.uk/cars.

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