British motorists will spend an average of 2500 hours looking for parking over their lifetime, according to a survey conducted by parking marketplace ParkatmyHouse.
Indeed, parking seems to be the main frustration for drivers, with over 45 per cent of respondents citing it as the main problem they face when on the road. This was closely followed by a lack of manners by other road users (22 per cent) and middle lane hoggers (17 per cent).
The survey also found that a staggering 81 per cent of us spend up to 20 minutes looking for somewhere to park on a regular basis.
Unsurprisingly, drivers in London take the longest to find a suitable spot, at 20 minutes 30 seconds. Drivers in Manchester and Bristol aren’t much better off, needing around 15 minutes to find a space once they reach their destination.
York and Cardiff, on the other hand, offer much easier parking, with motorists taking an average of eight minutes to find a space.
Alex Stephany, CEO of ParkatmyHouse, said: “It perhaps comes as no surprise that cities like London and Manchester have parking congestion problems. As if motorists haven’t had enough to contend with as fuel and motor insurance costs have risen over recent years, they now spend precious time waiting to park when they reach their destination.”
ParkatmyHouse connects motorists with people who have available parking spaces, such as driveways not in use during the day. It has now released a new smartphone app that allows drivers to search for such spaces, book and pay in advance. With costs typically around 50 per cent cheaper than on-street parking, there are potential savings for those seeking to reduce their motoring costs.
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