From Wetwang to Fanny Avenue via Fingringhoe, it can be hard keeping your eyes on the road and minds out of the gutter while driving past some of the more arresting signposts in our country.
And thanks to research from Asda Money, we now know just how difficult it is to ignore a Back Passage (City of London), Crotch Crescent (Oxford), or a Twatt (in Orkney).
The vital analysis of “a nationally representative online survey of 2,000 UK adults” found 65% of Brits admitted to being distracted by a rude-sounding road name and 60% have laughed so hard they’ve missed a turn or exit, while one in three said they’d had a near miss as a result.
When it came to the rudest names beloved of drivers, the Midlands and Worcestershire beat off the rest of the country with several slipping into the top 35, including Bell End in Rowley Regis, Minge Lane, Hornyold Road and North Piddle in Worcestershire, and Cock Hill Lane and Twatling Road in Birmingham.
Funny road names were just one of the distractions competing for drivers’ attention. Overall, 76% admitted they get distracted behind the wheel, doing so an average of five times during an hour-long journey.
Alongside road signs; talkative passengers (32%), stunning scenery (30%) and passengers continuously pointing things out (27%) make the list of top distractions.
All of which is a lot less fun than Sandy Balls in the New Forest.
