REVEALED: The Most Driver-Friendly University For Students
Coventry is a city which has long been associated with the British motor trade and has now been crowned the ‘Best UK City for Student Drivers’ according to a recent study.
With an estimated 2.1 million students returning to higher education each September, Jardine Motors crunched the numbers to identify the University city offering the best student driving experience.
Coventry, ranked 58th in The Times’ Good University Guide 2024, edged out competition from Newcastle Upon Tyne and Plymouth on the final leaderboard, which measured the key aspects of student driving.
Metrics included the average cost of petrol per litre, hours lost in traffic, average cost of parking per hour, reported road collisions and the parking available within a 15-minute walk of the University Campus.
London finished last in the study of the 25 cities monitored, with Stoke-on-Trent and Belfast also faring poorly on the index.
With millions of students up and down the country returning to University for their Autumn term, the aim of this research was to find the standout cities in the UK that provide optimal conditions for student drivers. This may help existing student motorists and also those currently weighing up their future options during the application process.
The top-ranking cities offer an appealing combination of factors that can make student drivers’ lives more comfortable and convenient as they navigate student life.
Obviously, with the student population, price will play a big part – whether you drive your Mum’s old car or a used Audi A1. Coventry, our best-scoring entry, was the second cheapest for parking across the city.
It also ranked highly for lifestyle factors such as fewer average hours lost in traffic and safety. There were only 570 reported road collisions per year compared to bottom-placed London with 30,179.
Amidst ongoing inflationary pressures, Brighton – which placed fifth overall – was the cheapest for fuel with an average of £1.48 for petrol per litre.
Third-placed Plymouth also performed strongly – regularly placed in the top five spots across most metrics with a network of services and amenities catering well to the student motorist.
Other honourable mentions include Sheffield, Wolverhampton, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Norwich and Glasgow, placed fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.
How did your city compare?
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