Admiral has revealed new research which suggests parking a car can be a controversial issue, with more than one in six motorists saying they have argued with a neighbour over a parking space and almost one in five admitting they have parked illegally.

Car insurance expert Admiral surveyed 2,500 motorists to find out their habits when it comes to parking. It found that 16% of them have argued with a neighbour over a space. Regionally, motorists in the North West are the most likely to get into a row over parking, compared to those in Scotland who are least likely to.

Sue Longthorn, Admiral managing director, said: “For something we probably do every day it would seem parking can cause problems, with many motorists getting into an argument with a neighbour over it. As our roads get more crowded, we want to ensure we have our own parking space, preferably outside our own home, but this really isn’t something worth getting into a row about.”

Admiral also found that while four in ten motorists have never had a parking ticket, the average motorist has received 1.7 tickets. This could be because 18% of respondents said they sometimes park illegally on double yellow lines. This is much more common among men than women, with 22% of men compared with 13% of women saying they do it. In Wales, nearly one in four admitted they park illegally, the highest of any part of the UK. At the other end of the table, only 14% of motorists in Yorkshire and the East Midlands said they have done it.

Getting a ticket for parking illegally is most likely to happen in London. Londoners said they have had the highest number of parking tickets, with an average of 3.9. Only 21% in London have never had a ticket, perhaps not surprising considering the number of traffic wardens in the capital.

What is a surprise is that despite having the highest percentage admitting to parking illegally, Wales also has the highest percentage of motorists who have never had a ticket, with 50%. This compares with 40% across the UK as a whole.

When it comes to how drivers park, only 2% said they don’t always try to park considerately in car parks. However twice that figure, 4%, admitted they have parked in a space reserved for disabled motorists.

Motorists appear to be more willing to use spaces reserved for parents with children when they shouldn’t. One in eight owned up to doing this, and perhaps surprisingly, just as many women as men said they have done it.

Sue Longthorn continued: “Thankfully relatively few people admitted they park how or where they shouldn’t. Using a disabled space when you’re not permitted or parking inconsiderately in a car park can be particularly selfish and can cause problems for other road users. We’d just ask all motorists to think of others when choosing where to park their car.”

More information on this and the rest of Admiral’s Annual Survey of British Motorists can be found at www.admiral.com/surveyofmotorists.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases

Admiral, a leading car insurance expert, has revealed worrying new research that suggests the number of people drink driving has risen in the last year. It found that 28% of motorists have driven their car in the knowledge they were over the legal alcohol limit, up from 24% in 2010.

Admiral commissioned YouGov to survey 2,500 drivers for the annual Admiral Survey of Motorists, which includes questions about drink driving. With summer in full swing and the temptation to drive after a few drinks in a beer garden or at a barbecue high, the results raise concerns that the anti-drink driving message is failing to hit home.

Many motorists still believe a few drinks before getting behind the wheel won’t hurt. So while nearly half of those questioned said they would only consider themselves safe to drive after drinking no units of alcohol, one in ten said they think they are still safe after drinking three or more units.

When it comes to gender, men appear to be far more likely than women to drink and drive. 37% of men said they have driven while over the limit, compared with 16% of women, and 16% of men said they think they are still safe to drive after three or more drinks, compared with just 1% of women.

Roger Singer, head of road safety charity DDE+, gave his thoughts on why drink driving is such a concern in the summer: “Firstly, and it seems too simple, it’s warmer, so try not to drink alcohol for thirst – have a pint of squash first and then savour that pint of lager or glass of wine at a more leisurely pace.

“Secondly the drinking episodes can be longer, we start stoking up the lunch-time BBQ about 11am on Sunday morning sampling the bottled lager to make sure it’s up to standard at the same time. We’re finishing the last of the Rosé as we are clearing up at midnight. Without realising it we’ve consumed a total of 29 units – it’s only a beer or a glass of wine an hour but it means we won’t be able to drive till 4pm Monday.”

Another major risk highlighted by Admiral’s research is the number of people who admit they have driven the morning after drinking heavily the night before. Nearly a quarter of motorists admitted they have done this while they suspected they were over the limit, while a further 16% are unsure if they were safe to drive.

Sue Longthorn, managing director of Admiral, said: “These statistics are a real concern; the number of people who say they have driven while over the limit is up from last year and stands at nearly three out of ten motorists. We just want to highlight these figures and point out why it is never worth the risk.

“Motorists who get caught drink driving could also find it difficult to get insured. They will at least find their car insurance premiums have increased, and this increase could be significant, and in some extreme cases they could even be refused insurance completely.”

More information on this and the rest of Admiral’s Annual Survey of British Motorists can be found at www.admiral.com/surveyofmotorists.

Via EPR Network
More Financial press releases