The regions with the most breakdowns in the UK
74% of drivers have had a vehicle break down at some point in their life - but what regions have witnessed the most breakdowns whilst holding a drivers licence?
| Situation |
Scotland |
North East |
North West |
Yorkshire & Humberside |
West Midlands |
East Midlands |
Wales |
London |
South East |
South West |
| My vehicle has never broken down |
26% |
27% |
26% |
27% |
28% |
27% |
25% |
22% |
25% |
25% |
| My vehicle has broken down |
74% |
73% |
74% |
73% |
72% |
73% |
75% |
78% |
75% |
75% |
According to our survey, London is the area with the most breakdowns in the UK, with over 3 in 4 drivers reporting a breakdown at some point (78%). This is unsurprising of course, due to the large population in the capital. Wales, the South East, and South West are the next most common regions for breakdowns, with 75% of respondents to our survey having experienced a breakdown in those areas.
Breakdown averages by region are fairly similar, for the most part. But what causes all these breakdowns? Our top 10 causes of breakdowns gives some interesting insight and tips for avoiding running into trouble in the first place.
The most common roads to breakdown on in the UK
We asked our survey respondents which road types they've suffered a breakdown on, and these are most common culprits.
| Rank |
Breakdown scenario |
% of drivers that have experienced this |
| 1 |
Country road |
21% |
| 2 |
Busy motorway |
20% |
| 3 |
Slip road |
5% |
| 4 |
Multi storey car park |
4% |
| 5 |
Steep hill |
3% |
| 6 |
Middle lane of a motorway |
3% |
Country roads are the most common road for a breakdown
Country roads can be dangerous for a number of reasons. They’re fast, with plenty of unseen dips and bends, and can often have debris on the road like mud and leaves. All of these factors affect your reaction time and stopping distance.
Most fatal accidents in the UK occur on country/rural roads, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re the most common place for breakdowns overall. 21% of the respondents to our survey have experienced a breakdown on a country road, so make sure to take extra care if you find yourself driving on one of these.
Busy motorway roads are the second most common road for a breakdown
Breaking down on a motorway is never a fun experience, and unfortunately, 20% of our respondents have had to endure just that. There are around 50 motorways in the UK, so drivers need to know what to do in case of a breakdown.
By following our tips, you can reduce the danger to yourself and other road users in the event of a motorway breakdown.
The worst types of roads to breakdown on, according to UK drivers
Probably the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to driver's dread is precisely where their car might break down. Location can make all the difference when it comes to getting help, as well as remaining safe throughout. Here are the top locations where drivers dread to break down.
| Rank |
Breakdown scenario |
% of drivers that consider this disastrous |
| 1 |
In the middle lane of a motorway |
90% |
| 2 |
At a level crossing |
81% |
| 3 |
On a busy motorway |
76% |
| 4 |
On a smart motorway |
76% |
| 5 |
In a tunnel |
63% |
| 6 |
Slip road |
40% |
| 7 |
On a bridge |
38% |
| 8 |
One a one way road |
34%
|
| 9 |
On a steep hill |
34%
|
On the motorway
Unsurprisingly, drivers said that breaking down in the middle of a motorway is a top fear for them. High-speed traffic from all directions, a serious sense of danger, and the need to be prepared are all reasons this particular type of breakdown wins the top spot in our driving fears.
The middle lane specifically ranks high in our fears, in fact, 90% of us dread it. The good news is, only 3% of us have actually experienced it even though the majority of drivers said they considered this scenario to be completely disastrous. Other motorway-based fears described included breaking down on a busy motorway, or on a smart motorway, reported as potentially disastrous by 76% of those surveyed. Of course, breaking down on a smart motorway can be particularly dangerous due to the removal of hard shoulders in many areas.
Londoners and those in the North West have the most experience of motorway breakdowns, with almost a quarter of these drivers having had them in the past. Given that Londoners' local motorway, the M25, handles 200,000 vehicles a day (that's 15% of the UK's total motorway traffic!) and that the M26 in the North West runs 107 miles, this probably shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
At a level crossing
A fear that may have been spawned by Hollywood movies more than reality, a whopping 81% of us live in fear of breaking down on a level crossing…despite none of the drivers surveyed having ever experienced it. This bodes well for the country’s drivers, as there are 6,000 level crossings in the UK we can hopefully continue to not break down on.
In a tunnel
A fear for 63% of us, breakdowns in a tunnel are also high on our list of fears. A combination of lack of access, holding up entire lanes of traffic, and a sense of claustrophobia no doubt all contribute to this driver dread. The good news continues for those who tremble at the thought of tunnel breakdowns, though, none of the drivers in the survey reported experiencing it themselves.
Slip roads
Merging into traffic can be stressful at the best of times, and 40% of us dread breaking down here. 5% of the drivers we surveyed had the misfortune of experiencing this in the past. From holding up traffic to being stuck in a small and potentially dangerous portion of road, it’s no surprise that drivers might spare a thought for this particular transport disaster next time they’re on the road.
On a bridge or one-way road
Scenarios that raise similar concerns to being stuck on a slip road, a bridge or one-way road give a sense of being trapped, and the sort of dramatic knock-on effects that may well see you make the evening traffic report. Over 35% of drivers reported dreading these situations, though only 1% actually had any first-hand experience of either.
On a steep hill
How much do you trust your hand break? Well, according to our study, 38% of us worry it’ll let us down if we were to break down on a steep hill. The last thing you need working against you after a breakdown is gravity, after all, and 3% of drivers reported experiencing this in the past.
On a country road
29% of us fear the day country roads won’t take us home. Likely the sense of being rural and out of reach of wifi or phone service is a big factor for this one. It’s not without good reason that drivers are concerned about country driving, 21% reported breaking down on rural roads in the past.
At a drive-thru or muti-storey car park
Country roads may inspire dread, but the urban landscape isn’t without its hazards. 16% of drivers worried about breaking down in a drive thru and 12% worried about doing so in a multi-storey car park.
Worst breakdown scenarios
There's more to driving fears than just where you break down, people also worry about when their car might give up on them. See which breakdown scenarios our survey respondents feared most below.
| Rank |
Breakdown scenario |
% of drivers that consider this disastrous |
| 1 |
On the way to the airport to catch a flight |
81% |
| 2 |
On your way to your own wedding |
74% |
| 3 |
In an area with no phone signal |
73% |
| 4 |
On your way to a job interview |
59% |
| 5 |
On holiday abroad |
58% |
| 6 |
On your way to an important meeting |
48% |
| 7 |
In the middle of a storm/bad weather |
45% |
| 8 |
In the dark |
42%
|
| 9 |
During rush hour |
39% |
| 10 |
On your way to the train station |
32% |
Breaking down on your way to the airport is more disastrous than a wedding day breakdown
In a telling display of how much Brits value their time away, 81% of us worry about this particular scenario, and that’s 7% more drivers than those who fear breaking down on their own wedding day (74%)! Luckily, only 4% of drivers have had to miss out on the sun, sea, and sand due to a breakdown, though 13% of staycationers have broken down during their UK holidays. 4% of drivers, despite making their flight, broke down during their holiday abroad, and 58% of drivers categorise that as a disaster situation.
In an area with no phone signal or in bad weather
In the digital age, it’s no wonder that we worry about being out of service during something as stressful as a breakdown. 73% of drivers cite this as a driving dread, but only 4% have experienced it. This likely has something to do with feeling stranded and losing a sense of control — the same can be said for bad weather which can leave us trapped in our cars in a storm or snow flurry. 6% of us have experienced breakdowns during Mother Nature’s worst, and 45% of drivers mentioned it as a scenario they worried about.
For those who fear one or both of these scenarios, you might want to avoid driving in Scotland. As well as having the most mobile ‘no-spots’ in the UK (16% of the total) it’s also the nation that sees the most snowfall.
On the way to important meeting or interview or in rush hour
Unsurprisingly, breaking down on the way to a meeting is a scenario that the city-dwellers of London have experienced the most, 11% of them, to be precise. Nationwide, 48% of us worry about a breakdown happening in this scenario but 59% of drivers worry about breaking down en-route to a job interview in particular. 39% of us are also worried about breaking down in rush hour, and 11% of drivers nationwide had had to face that problem in the past.
In the dark
You may think you’re over your fear of the dark, until a breakdown strikes. 20% of us have had to deal with the nocturnal nuisance of a night breakdown and 42% of drivers surveyed said it’s a scenario they consider truly disastrous.
Expert tips for when you break down on the motorway
Now we know the scenario we fear the most involves the motorway, it's time to be prepared. Here are some key tips for how to safely and calmly manage a breakdown on the motorway.
1. Stay safe
This probably one of the most important things to bear in mind when it comes to knowing what to do when you breakdown. As stressful as breakdowns can be, and as desperate as you are to get back on your way, it’s important to stay calm and keep yourself and your passengers safe.
- Try and drive your car off the motorway if you can
- Get your car to the hard shoulder if possible
If neither of these are possible, make sure your car is as far left of the motorway as it can be, with your wheels facing left. If you have to leave your vehicle for any reason, always exit your car on the left hand side.
2. Make yourself visible
An unseen hazard is all the more dangerous. Turn on your warning lights, plus your side lights if it's low-light or foggy outside. Put on a high-vis vest if you have one. Do NOT attempt to place a warning triangle on a motorway, this can be dangerous.
3. Wait in a safe place
This is usually outside of your vehicle. Carefully exit on the left, on the other side of any barriers and up the bank of the motorway if you can. Leave any animals in the car and stay upstream of on-coming traffic.
4. Call the AA
Call us and we’ll be on our way to help as soon as we can. (Not a member yet? No problem, you can join the AA any time for peace of mind, whatever the future holds for you and your car).
Methodology
There were 12,197 responses to the AA Yonder November survey between 13th and 21st November 2023.
