More than a fifth (21%) of British drivers will prioritise motoring-related issues in the upcoming general election according to the latest research from Autocar, the essential news and insights title for car buyers and enthusiasts.
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A survey of 1073 motorists has revealed the issues which will guide their voting decisions during the upcoming general election. The most commonly-cited issue on voters’ minds was fixing potholes, which was rated as the most pressing issue by 70% of participants. It is now estimated there are more than a million potholes in the UK.1
A desire to cut fuel duty (31%) and to improve the Electric Vehicle (EV) charging network (31%) were the next biggest political priorities for motorists– the latter was highlighted in a recent report by the House of Lords Environment & Climate Change Committee.
The subject of 20mph speed limits is a divisive topic among drivers. While one third of respondents (33%) wished for fewer 20mph zones in populated areas, 28% wanted more of them. Concern about speed limits is particularly pertinent following the Welsh Government’s decision to introduce a blanket 20mph speed limit in built-up areas last September. At the other end of the spectrum, more than half (54%) of respondents said they want the motorway speed limit raised to 80mph, and nearly one-in-five (19%) would like to go even further, with the introduction of derestricted autobahn-style motorways.
Photo by Michael Fousert on Unsplash
Issues such as parking, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and Clean Air Zones, like London’s ULEZ, are also on the minds of motorists, 83% of whom would like to ditch car parking apps in favour of cash or contactless payments, according to Autocar’s research, while 38% of respondents also wanted LTNs to be abolished completely – the same proportion wanting Clean Air Zones to be removed.
Mark Tisshaw, editor of Autocar and Autocar Business, said: “Despite the government’s unveiling of the ‘Plan for Drivers’ in October last year, more clearly needs to be done to address motorists’ concerns about road maintenance, fuel prices and charging infrastructure.”
“The topic of motoring always plays a role in elections, and these issues will be a voting priority for one-in-five motorists, highlighting the importance of the UK’s road users. It’s telling that a significant minority of voters are clearly in favour of Clean Air Zones and LTNs, and their calls to improve the EV charging network suggest many subscribe to the view that we need to reduce carbon emissions.”
To find out more about what Autocar’s experts think will be on voters’ minds, visit: www.autocar.co.uk/general-election
1 https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/driving-advice/rac-pothole-index-statistics-data-and-projections/
