A third (30%) of drivers would prefer to sit in hours of Bank Holiday traffic than hit a pothole, while a quarter (24%) said they would rather be slapped with a costly parking ticket, according to new research from Mercedes-Benz Vans’ ‘Under the Bonnet’ report.
The report, which looks at the challenges faced by modern day van drivers, also reveals over a third (35%) would rather spend their time paying vehicle tax than hit a pothole, while 23% would rather take a long journey with young kids and 22% would rather drive to see their in-laws.
Almost a quarter (22%) who have hit a pothole say they have forked out up to £500 on vehicle repairs as a result.
The UK is currently battling an epidemic of potholes, with over a million currently recorded on British roads – costing motorists an estimated £1.7billion in 2024.
The figure marks a 149% increase since 2014, when damage from potholes was estimated to have cost UK drivers £684million.
By comparison, parking fines cost UK drivers an estimated £1.2bn every year.
Mercedes-Benz Vans offers Service24h as part of its Mobilo programme that can be available for up to 30 years for van customers. It provides round-the-clock breakdown cover as well as attendance at the roadside, vehicle recovery and all mobility benefits at the workshop.
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.”
Over the last 10 years potholes have become one of the biggest issues facing UK motorists.
