• Study finds North East as having the lowest levels of traffic delays and shortest average commute
  • Drivers in the South East clock most miles yearly, but fuel is cheapest in Scotland
  • South West boasts lowest average insurance premium with London average over £1000

Driving in almost any part of the UK has its issues, with varying levels of traffic, fuel costs and motoring offences across the country. Amongst a host of other factors, British motorists often have to contend with long commutes due to either delays or their remote location, but where are the most and least desirable locations for drivers?

Crusader Vans have carried out a study to compare the different trials and tribulations of drivers to seek out the best regions for driving. Across 4 key areas, the North East have ranked highest in the list, with Yorkshire and the Humber and drivers in the South West coming in 2nd and 3rd. Beyond the overall scoring, we’ve outlined some of the key points below:

Driving Delays

Traffic is the most unpredictable aspect of driving, but research has found the average minutes that people are held up on a daily basis as well as the length of the average commute.

  • Average hold-up – Delays are an unavoidable part of driving, but those in the North East experience the least number of hold-ups per day with just over 8 minutes. Compared to the 25 minutes of obstruction for every London based motorist, this seems like a small price to pay.
  • Commuter Chaos – Joining the North East as the regions with the shortest commute, motorists in Scotland, Wales and the East Midlands are able to leave themselves more time in the morning with an average commute of 24 minutes. Unsurprisingly, it’s drivers in the capital that face longer journeys with their often shorter journeys still averaging 38 minutes a day.

Economical Drivers

Supply and demand means that fuel prices will vary up and down the country. We’ve looked at this cost as well as average insurance premiums to see how driving in regions can be lighter on your bank balance.

  • First for Fuel – The price of petrol and diesel differ by fine margins across the country, but miles travelled is far more sparse. While fuel prices are the most expensive at £1.31 per litre, London drivers spend an average of just £505 a year based on typical mileage. Higher distances travelled in Wales and the South East put their fuel costs above all other at over £770 a year.
  • Well placed for premiums – Your insurance quote is hugely influenced by where you live, and South Western motorists benefit from the lowest average premium of £543, almost half of that in London which average £1,098 annually.

Staying Safe

We are fortunate that the UK exists as one of the safest places to drive in the world, but as with any other nation, there are offences committed in every part of the country on a daily basis. We’ve divided population by the number of speeding offences from last year to give us the best places to drive.

  • Scotland on top – Last year Scotland committed under 3% of the nations speeding offences, and even when measured against their population it puts them highest on our list
  • Top Performers – Yorkshire and the Humber recorded just over 70,000 speeding offences last year putting them above their Northern neighbours, while London scored well proportionally with 70 people to every offence putting them in 3rd place.
  • Low Ranking – While they score high on most other metrics, for every 16 drivers in the North East, a speeding offence was recorded, putting them at the foot of the list. With over 476,000 speeding offences, the South East find themselves narrowly above bottom.

Find the full breakdown of all the regions of the UK here, and how they compare to the national average across all key areas of driving.