Driving is something that the majority of Brits do on a day-to-day basis, some for their jobs, some for pleasure and some simply acting as taxi drivers for the family.
Some people like driving more than others and there are a number of factors affecting the enjoyment people take from their journeys on the UK's roads – with potholes, crazy drivers the threat of having an accident with an uninsured motorist among the most common complaints.
If potholes are what really get under your skin on the roads, it's probably advisable to avoid driving on the roads in Blackpool, Lancashire, as it was recently voted the town with the worst roads in the UK in an AA study.
Oldham in Greater Manchester and Dartford in Kent rounded out the top three worst areas in the survey.
However, the B6343 near Morpeth and Fieldhead Lane, close to Holme, were named as the worst pothole-strewn roads in Britain by a potholes.co.uk survey, with both stretches singled out for criticism by motorists hoping to highlight the appalling state of the UK's roads.
Almost 90 per cent of nominations were local rather than motorways or A- and B-roads, indicating that local councils are struggling to keep up with maintenance of roads under their authority.
A recent decision by the Highways Agency to redefine the size of a pothole that needs repairing is expected to see potholes on UK roads worsening as the winter weather takes hold yet again.
Potholes less than 4 cm deep of 15 cm wide will not be repaired regularly as the organisation looks to save money.
While potholes are a nuisance, the problem of uninsured drivers on the roads in Britain is reaching almost epidemic proportions.
New figures from the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), which provides compensation to victims of uninsured and untraced drivers in the event of a hit-and-run, have identified the worst-offending areas in the country.
Almost a third of drivers in Bordesley, Birmingham, do not have an insurance policy, with parts of Essex, Manchester and West Yorkshire completing the list of some of the most dangerous roads to drive on in the UK.
With nearly 1.4 million uninsured drivers on the road in the UK, Britain has one of the worst records in Western Europe, with about one in 25 drivers not having insurance, and with around 23,000 people injured and 160 killed by uninsured and untraced drivers every year, it is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Ashton West, chief executive of the MIB, said: "We cannot stand by and let uninsured driving continue. Otherwise, the honest motorist will keep paying the bills for the injury and damage caused to people and property."
MIB findings indicate that as many as one in ten 18 to 34-year-old drivers are unaware that car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK.
Police have also revealed a high correlation between uninsured driving and other crimes, with offenders five times more likely to be involved in road collisions, fail to comply with traffic laws, or be engaged in criminal activity.
Otto Thoresen, the Association of British Insurers' director general, recently welcomed a request from the Office of Fair Trading to provide evidence for high insurance premiums.
He said it will provide the opportunity for the insurance industry to highlight the costs it faces and explain what action is needed to reduce pressures on insurers and the steps the industry is taking to ensure customers get the best deal.
"Rising claims costs from personal injury claims and excessive legal costs, insurance fraud and uninsured driving, coupled with lower investment returns in recent years, have unfortunately led to rising motor insurance bills for many customers," he explained.
Posted by Fred Mason