Why M-way breaks are a turn-off

It’s that time of year that motorists love most — summer road trips, shady green country lanes, trips to the beach and, if you’re lucky, getting the roof down on your convertible.

But it turns out we’re not very good at it. The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has taken a close look at our touring habits and found that 65 per cent of drivers on long journeys never stop for breaks on the motorway because they ‘don’t feel they have any need to’.

It seems 79 per cent of drivers only take a break if a motorway service area is in a ‘convenient’ place on their journey... and how often does that happen?

The poll of 1,753 people asked to what extent keeping hydrated and taking a break between long journeys was important to drivers — and found many respondents didn’t consider a rest break essential unless they had a ‘pressing’ reason.

And while many drivers prepare for long journeys beforehand — filling up their cars with fuel (85 per cent) or programming in a destination into their sat-navs (more than 60 per cent) — only 50 per cent plan to stop at a service station and as little as two per cent fail to do any planning at all.

But a driving simulator study by Loughborough University showed that even mild dehydration can be as bad for motorists as driving while under the influence of drinks and drugs in terms of driver errors made — affecting mood, mental functioning and changes in level of concentration.

Other major reasons cited by drivers for not taking a motorway break include the high price of fuel (56 per cent), and overpriced food, drinks and snacks (45 per cent). Of those drivers who do stop at motorway service areas, 94 per cent said it was only to use the toilet facilities.

In fact more than a third said a loo break was ‘very important’ on long distance routes and 75 per cent would welcome more frequent continental-style picnic and toilet-only rest areas across motorways and main road networks.

I have a lot of sympathy with that; many motorway service areas are dismal, with badly laid-out car parks, litter, too few grassy areas, not enough outside seating and too-high prices for food and drinks. The tea never tastes right, either.

I clocked up 500 miles in three days recently on a motorcycle and all the above factors put me off stopping — until I had to. My best waterproofs leaked in torrential rain and I craved a cuppa at the Little Chef off the A11 at Attleborough to cheer things up.