UK roads are poor and need investment and 78% want road tax ringfenced for maintenance and infrastructure

Over eight in ten drivers (83%) describe the UK’s road infrastructure as “poor and needing investment”, with 90% of over 55s agreeing with this.

The Opinium* survey of 2000 UK drivers, commissioned by InsuretheGap.com, a leading provider of GAP (Guaranteed Asset Protection) insurance, also finds that over three-quarters of drivers (78%) say Vehicle Excise Duty (i.e., road tax) should be ringfenced for road maintenance and infrastructure, rather than going into the government’s “pool of tax money”. Over 65s (85%) feel particularly strongly about this.

Six in ten drivers (60%) also say you should pay road tax according to the amount you use the roads. Almost three out of four drivers living in London (74%) agree with this, the highest of any region.

Over a third (38%) say that electric cars should pay less tax for using the road than drivers of petrol and diesel cars (44% men and 32% women). Under 34s (63%) and Londoners (68%) agree with this the most strongly.

Over half (56%) of drivers consider Vehicle Excise Duty (tax) too expensive.

Ben Wooltorton, from InsuretheGap, said, “Frustration with the state of the UK’s roads is reaching extremely high levels, with the general public asking some serious questions about how our road taxes are both raised and re-invested in our roads.”

The survey of 2,000 UK drivers (18+) was carried out by Opinium from 26 – 31 January 2023.