Driving in the capital – it’s shocking, say motorists

THEY say lightning never strikes in the same place twice – but that does not appear to be the case for drivers in Edinburgh.

A study shows cars are more likely to be hit by a bolt from the blue in Scotland’s capital than anywhere else in the UK.

Statistics show 12 per cent of drivers in Edinburgh said they had put in a claim for lightning damage in the past year.

Drivers in the city also appear to have the misfortune of being at the receiving end of another ‘act of God’, with 14 per cent of motorists claiming for flood damage to their vehicles. The list, published by insurers Direct Line, shows the eight most common reasons that drivers give when it is not their fault.

The only other Scottish location to make the list is Glasgow, where weather also appears to be the main culprit for car damage. Figures show that in the country’s largest city the most common payout request over the same 12 months was as a result of damage caused by potholes, at 61 per cent of all applications.

Claims made by drivers south of the Border appear to be far more routine. In Cardiff, 80 per cent of people had their vehicles vandalised, while in Plymouth, Devon, dents were the reason for 77 per cent of claims.

In Brighton, Sussex, drivers claimed the most after being hit by an uninsured car. Perhaps unsurpisingly, in London car thefts make up a quarter of claims.

The poll, carried out in April, asked 2,000 Brits from around the country to list what claims they had made against their insurance when the incident either was not their fault or the identity of the other driver was not known.

It found 86 per cent of motorists described themselves as ‘considerate drivers’, with 70 per cent claiming they regularly thank other drivers for letting them out at junctions.

But almost half of drivers also admitted to driving too close to other cars, and cutting someone up. According to the statistics, Wales was home to the UK’s most considerate motorists, with 41 per cent of drivers there say they were ‘always respectful’ to others on the roads, compared with only 19 per cent in Northern Ireland.

Dr Gary Wood, of Direct Line, said: ‘What happens to us on the road can have a knockon effect. A bit of courtesy from another driver can make our day. It’s more likely we’ll pay it forward and feel good ourselves in turn. It’s a win-win.’