- New Mercedes-Benz Vans research reveals potholes now rank ahead of Bank Holiday traffic jams and parking tickets as Brits most hated element of driving.
- A third would rather sit in Bank Holiday traffic, while a quarter would prefer to get a parking ticket than hit a pothole.
- Almost a quarter have paid up to £500 repairs for pothole damage
- Mercedes-Benz Vans Service24h offers round-the-clock roadside assistance for drivers
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 their class leading 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.
In 2022, singer Rod Stewart expressed the nation’s frustration when he was photographed filling in potholes near his Essex mansion after becoming fed-up with the state of the road and damage potholes were doing to his supercars.
As Brits’ hatred of potholes has grown, so too has their role in the national conversation.
Almost six in 10 (59%) say potholes are their top ice-breaker in conversation - overtaking football and the weather, while one in six admitted they’ve been asked to stop talking about potholes by a long-suffering loved one.
A quarter admit to being in a WhatsApp group dedicated to warning others about potholes.
The Under the Bonnet research has been designed to celebrate 30 years of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter by providing an in-depth look at the challenges faced by van drivers powering modern day Britain.