Motoring

Cars and parking

• There are 38.6 million vehicles (32.6 million cars) on the UK’s roads (end 2020).
• 6 out of 10 motorists say drivers that take more than one space is one of the most frustrating things about parking.
• The average motorists spends nearly 4 days every year looking for a parking space (91 hours).
• 17% of motorists use an app to find somewhere to park.

Payments (pre-pandemic)

• 75% of motorists prefer to use cash and pay and display machines to pay for parking
• 23% are happy to use a credit or debit card to pay for parking
• 28% of motorists distrust new payment technology
• 13% say they find apps and websites too confusing
• 12% worry that parking will cost more than necessary if they used a less traditional method

Cost

• It costs the average household £47 a year for parking (last calculated 2012)
• 94% of all parking acts are free of charge (includes home to work)
• Cost is not the main criteria when choosing somewhere to park (2020)

Car parks and on-street spaces

• There are an estimated 17,000 – 20,000 car parks in the UK
• There are an estimated 8 million-11 million on street parking spaces in the UK
• 1 in 4 car parks have Park Mark, Safer Parking Scheme Award

Time spent looking for a space

• The majority of people find a parking space within five minutes, regardless of the venue or area  
• Over a third of people spend longer than ten minutes finding a parking space in local high streets

Technology

• Motorist satisfaction is highest with barrier-free ANPR managed car parks