The Worst Cities for Driving in England

With its extensive motorway and dual carriageway network, driving in England should be a simple fare. While most driving between cities comes with very few issues, driving in cities can be challenging. Bus lanes, one-way streets, roadworks, traffic congestion and poor infrastructure can all contribute to a negative impact when driving in cities in the UK.

However, some cities are worse than others. Some cities are simple enough even for learner drivers to navigate their way around fairly easily, but not the ones on this list. The cities on this list can make even the most experienced drivers nervous at the thought of having to drive through them. Read on to discover the worst cities for driving in England.

To rank these cities, we considered several factors that impact the driving experience:

• Traffic Congestion: We evaluated how often drivers find themselves stuck in traffic jams, which can lead to frustrating delays.

• Frequent Roadworks: We looked at how ongoing construction projects disrupt traffic flow, adding to the overall chaos on the roads.

• Complex Road Layout & Poor Road Quality: We assessed how difficult it is to navigate through complicated road systems and the condition of the roads themselves.

• Accident Rates: We examined how frequently accidents occur in each city, highlighting potential dangers for drivers.

• Average Travel Time to Drive 10 km: We measured the typical time it takes to cover a distance of 10 kilometres, reflecting the efficiency (or lack thereof) of road networks.

• Driver Behaviour: We considered how driver attitudes and actions contribute to road safety and overall driving experience.

• Reader's Opinions: We gathered insights from locals about their experiences and frustrations on the roads.

10. Coventry

Found in the West Midlands, and classed as England’s most central city, Coventry is notoriously difficult for drivers. With it being the West Midlands’ second-largest city (just behind Birmingham), it is little surprise that Coventry is challenging to navigate around via car.

One of the main problems in Coventry is congestion – with thousands of people commuting into the city for work, the traffic in the city can sometimes come to a standstill at rush hour in the morning and afternoon, which results in the average time to travel 10km taking 19 minutes.

Unfortunately, being stuck in traffic and making people late for work or late returning home sees an upturn in the number of aggressive drivers on the road, something which many motorists and residents have voiced their opinions about.

And the congestion is only made worse when there are roadworks thrown into the mix to disrupt it all, bringing traffic to a standstill throughout the day, not just at rush hour. Unfortunately, Coventry also experiences high accident rates, with 600 – 700 casualties from road traffic accidents every year, which naturally makes it one of the worst cities for drivers in England.

And the worst bit? It seems that the ring road around the city is a common grievance, with one of our readers stating “[Coventry] has a really confusing ring road, always diverting”. With diverted traffic, construction works, and aggressive driving, it’s unsurprising to see Coventry on this list.

Worst Road for Traffic: A4600 (Holyhead Road)

Worst Road for Accidents: A444 (Bedworth Bypass)

9. Bristol

One of the largest cities in southwest England, Bristol also has a reputation for being difficult to drive around. Like Coventry, one of the biggest challenges that motorists face in Bristol is congestion. During the rush hour periods, commuters can experience frustrating delays, which are only exacerbated by many of the currently ongoing construction projects in the city, leading to increased times in these delays.

So much so, that the average time to drive 10km in Bristol is 26 minutes and 50 seconds. Yet it is not just construction projects and rush hour commutes that contribute to the delayed driving times in Bristol – much of the city’s road infrastructure is simply not built for the sheer amount of traffic that it experiences day in and day out.

And how are these problems solved? By working on the roads, of course! So on top of construction projects, there are also ongoing roadworks throughout much of the city, causing delays due to temporary traffic lights and diversions – on top of the already existing congestion issues that Bristolians face on their city’s roads.

Many of the roads – even when they are in usable condition – lead to confusing roundabouts or one-way streets, which can be difficult for new drivers or drivers who are new to the area to deal with, adding to the difficulty of driving around Bristol.

However, it still seems that construction and roadworks are the primary grievances for Bristolian motorists, with one reader commenting that there is “nowhere to park, loads of one-way roads and narrow roads, and traffic is always a nightmare! Plus the roads are ALWAYS closed because of construction”. It’s no wonder that Bristol makes the list of the worst cities for driving in England.

Worst Road for Traffic: M32 Motorway

Worst Road for Accidents: A37 Wells Road

8. Manchester

One of England’s most famous cities, this northwestern powerhouse is well-known for its historic role in the Industrial Revolution, as well as its impact on sports throughout the world, and the many famous bands and musicians who have hailed from the city, including The Smiths, Blur, Oasis and Take That.

However, it’s also known for being a nightmare to drive around – for both drivers new and experienced. It seems that some drivers need to take some advice from Gary Barlow and co. and have a little patience on the roads, as many Mancunians have strong opinions on aggressive motorists who make dangerous manoeuvres, impacting the safety of other road users and pedestrians alike.

And the reason that many drivers end up losing their patience in Manchester is because of the sheer amount of roadwork in the city daily. Roadwork combined with the numerous one-way streets in the city and diversions makes for a frustrating experience in the city for all types of drivers.

That’s no excuse for road rage, and that inevitably contributes to more road accidents than anything else – which only paints a negative light on Manchester being a difficult city to drive around. As a result, with more road accidents, detours and roadworks than both Coventry and Bristol, the travel time in Manchester is reduced further – with a 10km journey taking almost half an hour, coming in at 28 minutes 40 seconds.

It’s little wonder that people choose to drive when they would either be stuck on a bus or tram, or in a taxi with the meter going up and up while going absolutely nowhere due to the traffic congestion.

However, while the roadworks undoubtedly contribute to traffic jams in the city, it’s the road network itself which comes under scrutiny, with one reader commenting that “Manchester is a tangled and convoluted mess of one-way systems that trap you into expensive fines if you’re not careful”.

So, would you risk a fine for driving the wrong way down one of the many one-way streets in Manchester, or would you rather take your chances on public transport?

Worst Road for Traffic: M62 Motorway

Worst Road for Accidents: A635(M)

7. Hull

We’re heading over to the East Riding of Yorkshire next for a visit to Hull, one of England’s major port cities, and was even voted as the UK’s City of Culture in 2017. However, many drivers who have experienced the roads of Hull would be inclined to disagree!

One of the major concerns in Hull is the sheer amount of road accidents, which contributes to its status as a dangerous city for driving in England. While other bigger cities experience more accidents annually, for its relatively small size as a city, Hull experiences a lot of road traffic accidents: a scary 21.92 accidents per 10,000 people, with a total of 584 accidents and 8 fatalities.

This is an area for concern that needs to be addressed within the city, with some people citing the ongoing roadworks and confusing diversions as a reason for the road accidents, with one driver commenting “Hull bears its own special mention for being possibly the most broken place I’ve ever tried to drive”, which speaks volumes about the quality of driving in the city.

Longer travel times across the city are a byproduct of the number of roadworks that Hull seems to constantly be experiencing, too – and while the time to drive 10km in the city is not as long as in other UK cities, it still stands at a frustrating 23 minutes and 40 seconds as an average.

One particular driver had an extremely negative experience of driving in Hull related to the roadworks and delays in traffic as a result, taking them two hours to cross the city: “[Driving in Hull is] pretty bad, there’s one main road in and out and if there’s an accident, the whole city jams. It once took me 2 hours to drive 5 miles across the city.”

Overall, a combination of constant roadworks, no real infrastructure to support the extra traffic, and poor routes into and out of the city contributes to Hull’s appearance on this list.

Worst Road for Traffic: A63 (Castle Street)

Worst Road for Accidents: A1079 (Beverley Road)

6. Sheffield

Moving from East Yorkshire to South Yorkshire, Sheffield – also known as the Steel City for its role in the steel industry – has a reputation for being hilly and compact. It’s also home to one of the biggest rivalries in English football, known as the Steel City derby, contested between Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday. Like Machester, Sheffield is also the home of many incredible bands, including Pulp, Arctic Monkeys and Def Leppard – but it’s also one of the worst cities for driving in England.

While roadworks have been a consistent problem in the aforementioned cities, fortunately for Sheffielders, roadworks are not so much of an issue – but they have plenty of other issues instead.

Delays in traffic increased the average travel time for a 10km journey by 10 seconds in 2023 (up to 27 minutes 40 seconds), demonstrating that Sheffield’s roads are unsuitable for the large volumes of traffic that it is currently experiencing. These delays are only further increased at rush hour, when commuters drive into the city from other South Yorkshire towns and villages for work, and then face the same problems at home time.

Sheffield also suffers on a weekend, when most other cities have a let-off – largely due to the football, particularly if both United and Wednesday are playing at home on the same day. Bramall Lane, Sheffield United’s home ground, is located (unsurprisingly) on Bramall Lane – which is completely closed off on matchdays while spectators make their way to the ground. This results in even bigger delays in the city, as Bramall Lane is one of the main roads into Sheffield City Centre.

Like Hull, Sheffield also has a high accident rate for its size, contributing to its negative reputation as a poor city to drive around. This, combined with its numerous one-way streets and bus lanes makes driving challenging in Sheffield, as drivers are fined for driving in bus lanes – even accidentally.

As a result, many drivers opt to take longer routes, leading to longer driving times and delays throughout the city, simply to avoid accidentally ending up in a bus lane or going the wrong way up a one-way street.

Furthermore, while many roads are in decent condition, many drivers complain about the number of potholes in Sheffield, which leads to a poor driving experience. This again means either roadworks causing delays or drivers becoming impatient and taking huge risks by undertaking dangerous manoeuvres which are largely illegal according to the Highway Code.

One reader called the driving standards in Sheffield “hilariously low”, while another agreed, adding that “It’s absolute bedlam around Ecclesall Road and Nether Edge. Cars absolutely flying out of junctions.”

Worst Road for Traffic: A61 (Sheffield Parkway)

Worst Road for Accidents: Attercliffe Road

5. Doncaster

Another South Yorkshire city, Doncaster is arguably even worse than Sheffield to drive around. While not as large as its South Yorkshire counterpart, it is still nevertheless a challenging city to drive around, for both new and experienced drivers.

Doncaster also has the unfortunate accolade of holding the title of the city with the most risk of road accidents: in one year, there were 573 accidents, including 7 fatalities. It even surpasses Hull for driving accidents, with 36.23 accidents per 10,000 people.

These statistics are shocking, but come as little surprise when it has been revealed that driving aggression is a huge problem in Doncaster, with some claiming that road rage and dangerous driving are exacerbated due to impatience and delays in traffic, leading them to attempt risky and desperate manoeuvres, putting themselves and others at risk.

Construction is another issue in Doncaster – much of the construction work in the city requires roadworks, leading to further increased delayed times and confusing diversions. This makes driving even worse at rush hour, with long delays and frustrated drivers.

One reader commented, “It seems like [the council] are building more and more houses in Doncaster but not building enough roads so some areas are becoming a bottleneck for traffic.”

Worst Road for Traffic: A630 (Doncaster Road)

Worst Road for Accidents: A638 (Great North Road)

4. Portsmouth

We’re now making our way from South Yorkshire to the south coast with Portsmouth being next on this list of the worst cities for driving in England. With a population of over 208,000, it is the most densely populated city in the UK, which can somewhat explain why congestion on Portsmouth’s roads can be such an issue for motorists.

During rush hour, congestion is arguably the biggest issue on Portsmouth’s roads. In 2023, the average travel time for a 10km journey increased by 20 seconds – showing that congestion clearly is a significant issue which still needs addressing. As a result, the average time taken to travel 10km in Portsmouth is 18 minutes 30 seconds.

While Portsmouth does also experience delays due to roadworks, it does not experience delays to the extent of some of the other cities on this list. However, Portsmouth is known for having many confusing roundabouts. Combined with roadworks and temporary traffic lights and emergency lanes being put into place, this can create chaos and confusion on the roads, even for drivers who have lived in and around Portsmouth for their whole lives.

Sadly, Portsmouth has notable accident rates, which is another reason why it is so high on this list. While efforts are being made to monitor and improve road safety, accidents still remain an area of major concern. In fact, Portsmouth ranks as the third-most accident-prone city in the UK, with 427 road accidents and 142 workplace accidents reported in the past year. Per capita, this works out at an accident rate of 0.0027, which highlights the dangers that drivers face on Portsmouth’s roads.

Finally, many motorists complain of aggressive drivers on Portsmouth’s streets, further adding to the notion that Portsmouth is one of the worst cities for driving in England. In fact, one reader stated that “the drivers here are absurd, most don’t even signal when turning so it’s like playing peek-a-boo when you get to an intersection”, with another adding that the worst thing about living in Portsmouth in general is “the road network in and out of Portsmouth, especially when there is an accident or roadworks.”

Worst Road for Traffic: A2030

Worst Road for Accidents: A3(M)

3. Birmingham

Taking third place in this list is the Second City, Birmingham. Found in the heart of the West Midlands, Birmingham is the second-largest city in the UK, just behind London. If you need any more proof of why Birmingham is one of the worst cities for driving in England, it has a motorway junction which is popularly known as “Spaghetti Junction” thanks to its winding and intersecting roads.

Because of its size as a city, Birmingham experiences huge congestion at rush hour when it is not uncommon for commuting times to double due to the sheer amount of traffic on the roads. And if the volume of traffic wasn’t bad enough to deal with, there seems to be a never-ending amount of roadworks, delaying journey times even further.

As mentioned earlier, Birmingham is home to the famous Spaghetti Junction, making driving into or out of the city a nightmare, but on top of that, there are also many confusing multi-lane roundabouts for drivers to navigate. Miss your exit and it could be another half hour before you get back around to it.

The M42 motorway which surrounds Birmingham is often regarded as one of the worst motorways in the UK, with a driver satisfaction score of 56% from road users, with common complaints including potholes, roadworks, delays and reduced speed limits, especially around Birmingham Airport. The average time to travel 10km in Birmingham is 21 minutes 40 seconds, showing just how serious the congestion issues are, even with multi-lane roads in the city.

On top of that, Birmingham holds the unfortunate accolade of being ranked as having the third-worst drivers in the UK, with both high rates of accidents and low rates of driving test passes. There are an astonishing 19.89 accidents per 10,000 people, and the city had a total of 2,137 collisions with 26 fatalities in 2021. It does not help that many Birmingham residents have reported aggressive drivers and driving habits as their main concerns regarding drivers on the roads.

On top of dangerous driving are dangerous roads – with many potholes having been reported but not dealt with (169 on Kingsbury Road), creating a dangerous driving environment, which can easily cause damage to cars.

One reader voiced their thoughts about driving to concerts in Birmingham recently, stating “Travelled [to Birmingham] a few times in recent years for the Utilita Arena…unbelievable amounts of roadworks, and confusing redirections. Stressful, to say the least!!!”

Worst Road for Traffic: M42

Worst Road for Accidents: A38 (Kingsbury Road) 

2. London

It’s no surprise that London is at the top end of this list. The capital of England, and its largest city, is also one of the worst cities to drive in.

Congestion is arguably the worst problem in London, with drivers in the city spending an incredible 149 hours (on average) per year stuck in traffic. In fact, on the A406 North Circular alone, motorists spend an average of two and a half days per year stuck in traffic.

Ongoing construction projects resulting in roadworks only aggravate this problem, leaving drivers more frustrated. It will come as little surprise that the time taken to drive 10km in London is by far the longest on this list, sitting at an incredulous 50 minutes 50 seconds.

And these drivers often take out their problems on other road users – with aggressive driving being a major problem in London due to frustration caused by delays and roadworks.

In fact, London has actually been ranked as the city in the UK with the worst drivers. In addition to the high accident rates and low driving test pass numbers, London was recorded as having the highest number of city centre crashes between 2017 and 2021, with 1,359 accidents having taken place.

Even for experienced drivers, London can be a nerve-wracking experience to drive around, with the city’s intricate network of complicated intersections and one-way streets only adding to the chaos of city driving. The condition of most of the major roads in and around London is generally well maintained, but side streets can suffer from maintenance issues such as potholes which can seriously affect driving conditions.

One reader summed up driving in London in one sentence: “The sheer volume of traffic and crashes in the city centre contributes to an overall stressful driving experience for motorists.”

Worst Road for Traffic: A406 North Circular

Worst Road for Accidents: A1010

1. Leeds

Taking the (probably unwanted) crown of the top spot for the worst city for driving in England is Bradford’s West Yorkshire neighbour, Leeds.

So, where to start? Congestion is a serious issue in Leeds, and the city ranks consistently high in terms of traffic congestion, not just in the UK, but globally – currently ranking as the 51st worst city in the world for traffic congestion. It has an average Traffic Congestion Index (TCI) of 47.97 over the past 30 days, with most of the delays coming between 16:00 and 17:00 during the week, coinciding with the rush hour of people leaving work for the day.

The complex road layout in the city is also cited as a frustration for many drivers, with bus lanes and one-way streets seemingly coming out of nowhere, and drivers taking longer routes to avoid being caught (and thus fined) in a bus lane. Throw almost consistent roadworks into the mix (due to the sheer number of poorly maintained roads in the city), and driving through Leeds is a recipe for disaster.

Leeds is also the most accident-prone city in the UK, with a couple of reasons cited for this. One is the number of miles travelled in each vehicle, and another cites that the driving test pass rate is the lowest in the country, which undoubtedly contributes to the number of accidents on the roads in Leeds.

Data also shows that recent travel times have increased in Leeds, with it taking longer times to cover the same distance in the city when compared to previous years, making driving in Leeds a more time-consuming process. For instance, it takes around 21 minutes and 40 seconds to drive 10km in Leeds.

One frustrated motorist, when asked about driving in Leeds, said “forever changing it, forever doing roadworks, bus lanes everywhere, one-way systems” – which says it all, and highlights why Leeds is one of the worst cities for driving in England.

Worst Road for Traffic: A647

Worst Road for Accidents: Otley Road

Honourable Mention: Bradford

The UK City for Culture 2025: Bradford. Found in northern England, and West Yorkshire specifically, Bradford has a reputation for being a poor city to drive around.

One of the main problems that drivers in Bradford face is traffic congestion. In September 2022, the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) was introduced, with the intention of improving air quality, but it has primarily served to highlight existing traffic delays.

Road signage has often been a grievance in Bradford, too – with many drivers unknowingly taking longer routes around the city due to insufficient road signage.

To add to its already existing reputation as a bad city to drive in, Bradford has notable road accident rates: 36.11 accidents per 10,000 people is the average, including 1,059 accidents reported with 11 fatalities. Given the fact that it is much smaller than other cities like Birmingham, Manchester and London, this is a concerning statistic.

Aggressive drivers are one of the factors that lead to the difficult driving experience in this northern city, making it worthy of mention on this list.

One motorist described driving through Bradford as “like a game of dodgems”, adding that “[Bradford] is quite literally one of the most stressful parts of the UK that I find driving through”.

Worst Road for Traffic: A6181

Worst Road for Accidents: Leeds Road