Drivers don’t take breaks on long journeys, survey shows
NEW figures suggest that nearly two-thirds of motorists don’t stop for breaks on long journeys.
Getting enough rest on your trip is very important
A new survey commissioned by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has found that 65% of drivers don’t stop to take a rest break on the motorway when taking long journeys – saying that they don’t feel the need to.
The survey of 1,753 respondents also found that 79% of motorists also only choose to take a break at a motorway service station if it’s on their way.
Other findings from the poll further revealed that while 85% of drivers prepare for a long drive by filling up their cars with fuel and over 60% programme their sat nav unit with their destination, only 50% actually plan to stop at a service station – and 2% fail to do any kind of planning.
The survey uncovered a number of reasons why drivers don’t stop at motorway service stations. For example, 56% think that the cost of fuel is high at service stations, while 45% say that food, drinks and snacks at service stations are too overpriced.
Take a bottle of water with you before embarking on a long journey, keep hydrated throughout and allow for some much-needed rest
Of the drivers who do stop at a motorway service station, over 94% say they only stop to use the toilet facilities. Indeed, over a third of those spoken to think that a toilet break is very important on long distance routes and 75% suggest that more frequent picnic and toilet-only rest areas, as found on the Continent, should be established across Britain’s motorway and main road network.
Sarah Sillars, IAM’s chief executive officer said: “Drivers avoiding taking rest breaks at a motorway service station, simply because they want to reach a destination quicker, raise the risk of making several mistakes and being involved in an incident.
“Although participants have expressed an interest towards self-serving picnic and toilet sites, drivers must be encouraged to take regular breaks every two hours at any type of service station.
“Take a bottle of water with you before embarking on a long journey, keep hydrated throughout and allow for some much-needed rest.”