Where do the unluckiest drivers in the UK live?

NEWS COPY

Motorists from Oxford are the unluckiest drivers in the country - picking up the most punctures, dents, scrapes and parking tickets than anyone else, according to a new study.

Researchers polled British drivers and discovered that people from the university city, home to Jaguar driving Inspector Morse, consider themselves to have the least luck when it comes to motoring.

The people of Leicester came second, followed by drivers from Cambridge, while in stark contrast Cardiff motorists consider themselves to be the luckiest when it comes to life on the road.

However, Norwich emerged as the road rage capital of the UK, with 22 percent of those from the city saying they have got out of their vehicle to confront someone.

According to the study, 12 percent of Brits have filled up their car with the wrong fuel, 27 percent have slept in their car on occasion and over a quarter (26 percent) have ran out of petrol.

Over the course of a typical year, the average British motorist will hit 48 potholes, bump another vehicle in a car park six times, scratch their vehicle nine times and clip their wing mirror as many as 10 times.

They will be distracted by the kids in the back 16 times and nip through traffic lights just as they turned red 17 times a year.

The research by Holts Tyreweld, revealed every month we will mount the curb twice when attempting to park, get stuck in heavy traffic six times and honk our horn on two occasions.

As many as a quarter of Brits believe their car is cursed as they have had terrible luck with it since they bought it.

Stephanie Hickford, Brand Manager at Holts Tyreweld, which commissioned the study said: “We are all guilty of the odd misdemeanour on the road and very few of us will be able to say that we have never bumped another vehicle or clipped the curb when parking.

“But this research shows that some drivers have no luck behind the wheel and suffer one calamity after another.

“It’s also clear from the results that punctures are a problem for lots of drivers, especially in Oxford! When you’re trying to get somewhere there is nothing worse than a flat tyre, they are a time consuming inconvenience that will stress out even the calmest of drivers.

“Tyreweld Emergency Car Tyre repair is the perfect solution for punctures and has been designed and fully tested by our in-house lab team to be as quick and easy to use as possible, helping even the unluckiest drivers safely on their way again without the need for a wheel change at the side of a busy road.”

Work appointments, job interviews and friends’ birthdays are among some of the most common events Brits have had to miss due to flat tyres or their vehicle breaking down.

And the typical motorist confessed to driving over the speed limit for 24 per cent of the time that they are behind the wheel.

A third (33 per cent) of the 1,000 respondents polled said they loved driving, but a more matter of fact 35 per cent said they don’t enjoy life on the road and said it was just a way of getting from A to B.

The average British motorists rated their driving skills as a seven out of ten and the poll found most people passed their driving test on the second attempt.

The research showed the average Brit checks their oil, tyre tread and washer fluid levels four times a year and on average washes it around seven times.

With MOTs, servicing and running repairs, the data revealed the average car owner will fork out £430 every year to keep their car on the road.

UNLUCKIEST DRIVERS

Oxford (30 per cent)
Leicester (27 per cent)
Cambridge 27 per cent
Birmingham (26 percent)
Bristol (26 per cent)
Newcastle (25 per cent)
Sheffield (25 per cent)
London (20 per cent)
Nottingham (19 per cent)
Liverpool (19 per cent)

ENDS

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