Currently reading: New study finds North East is UK’s motoring nirvana

Comparison of statistics highlights best and worst regions for traffic, insurance, fuel costs and dangerous driving

Drivers in the North East of England enjoy the best conditions for driving, with fewer delays, quieter roads and cheaper fuel than the rest of the UK.

Research carried out by commercial vehicle leasing company Crusader Vans shows commuters in the region experience an average daily delay of just eight minutes, compared with the 25 endured by drivers in London. 

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This comparative predictability means the average commute time in the region is just 24 minutes, which is two minutes below the national average and 14 less than in the capital. Commuters in Scotland, Wales and the East Midlands enjoy similarly short journey times. 

London motorists also lose out when it comes to fuel prices; the city-wide average cost is £1.31 per litre, but the difficulty of driving in the area means Londoners spend just £505 per year on petrol or diesel. 

Wales and the South East have less pricey pumps, but drivers spend more time behind the wheel, resulting in a yearly fuel cost of more than £770. 

A cost more profoundly impacted by region is that of car insurance, and it’s the South West that offers the cheapest premiums. Owners in the area pay £543 annually, which is less than half the £1098 shelled out by London residents. 

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Despite offering some of the most engaging driving roads in the UK, it was Scotland that emerged as the safest place for motoring, claiming just 3% of all UK traffic offences recorded last year.

Conversely, the South East’s 476,000 violations placed it well clear of the 187,900 national average and firmly in last place in the safe motoring chart.

Click here to find out how your area performed in the study.  

Read more

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Britain's best driving roads

London's Ultra Low Emission Zone: what you need to know​

Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years. 

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