ALA Insurance has unveiled its ranking of the UK’s worst lay-bys to suffer a vehicle breakdown, with destinations in Scotland and Wales topping the list.
While most people would argue that the worst lay-by to break down in is simply the one where it happens to them, ALA has taken a more methodical and data-led approach to the subject. They assessed 120 lay-bys throughout the UK, scoring them on a range of factors, including the quality of mobile phone reception, proximity to nearby amenities (or lack thereof), and even local climate data such as average annual temperatures and rainfall.
The findings led the insurer to crown a lay-by on the A713 in Galloway, southern Scotland, as the least desirable place to be stranded with car issues. It narrowly edged out lay-by 99 on the southbound A9 near Etteridge in the Scottish Highlands.
In third and fourth place were lay-bys located in Wales, one on the B4302 near Talley and another on the A483 close to Gresford. Notably, every one of the top six entries was found in either Scotland or Wales. They were followed by lay-bys on the A84 in central Scotland and the A470 in south Wales.
The South East made an unexpected appearance with a lay-by labelled ‘SY2’ on the A44 – a route that begins in Oxfordshire and eventually crosses into Wales. Completing the top ten were the Cutthroat Bridge lay-by on the A57 in the North West, along with two more lay-bys located in the South West on the A37 and A40, respectively.