A rainy day costs UK motorists £25m every time

Every day of rain adds an eye-watering £25 million to the already spiralling cost of motoring, according to new research from Santander.

The study uncovered 2.8 million seasonal motorists who choose to drive to and from work on days when the weather is unpleasant, but walk or cycle in the summer when the weather is warm and dry.

Every day of rain during the summer months costs each seasonal driver an average of £9, to cover the cost of petrol, parking and congestion charges. This would mean an eye-watering cost of £1.7 billion, or £6,202 per motorist if the UK has a complete wash-out of a summer.

With the high cost of fuel putting increasing pressure on motorists, four in 10 drivers who can do so say they will consider the cheaper alternative of walking or cycling this summer if the weather is pleasant enough.

However, with 51 days of rain last summer, millions of motorists may well find themselves back in their cars, despite their cash-saving intentions.

Adam Mussert of Santander Cards said: “As the price of fuel continues to rise, motorists are finding themselves under increased pressure to cover the cost of driving.

“Seasonal motorists find themselves in the fortunate position of being able to choose whether or not to drive, but actually our research shows that for almost a third of all people who drive to work the car is essential, not optional.”

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