Potholes have overtaken traffic jams and parking tickets as the nation’s most hated part of driving, according to research published in Mercedes-Benz Vans’ Under the Bonnet report.
The study found that 30% of drivers would prefer to sit in hours of bank holiday traffic than hit a pothole, while 24% said they would rather receive a parking ticket.
More than a third (35%) said they would rather spend time paying vehicle tax, 23% would prefer a long journey with young children, and 22% would opt for a drive to see their in-laws instead of damaging their vehicle on Britain’s roads.
Almost a quarter (22%) of those who have hit a pothole said they had spent up to £500 repairing damage. The report highlights the scale of the issue, with over 1 million potholes currently recorded on UK roads, costing motorists an estimated £1.7bn in 2024.
That figure represents a 149% increase since 2014, when the cost of pothole damage was put at £684m. By comparison, parking fines cost UK drivers around £1.2bn annually.
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.”
The report also found that potholes have become a key talking point, with 59% of respondents saying they use the issue as an ice-breaker, ahead of football and the weather.
One in six admitted they had been asked to stop talking about potholes by family members, while a quarter said they were part of WhatsApp groups dedicated to warning others about road damage.
