New research has revealed that two in five UK drivers find motorways boring and three-quarters would prefer to take a scenic route.

With over half of UK drivers planning a staycation this summer, new research reveals that beautiful scenery and ensuring everyone in the car gets to enjoy the views are key priorities when planning a long drive.

Short-term insurance company, Tempcover has conducted new research on UK based drivers that shows that their most beloved scenic drives are in Sussex.

The routes that are voted South East's most scenic spots are:

Devil's Dyke: Brighton → Worthing via South Downs roads
South Downs: Brighton → Winchester via A272 across the Downs (instead of A27/M3)
Beachy Head: Newhaven → Eastbourne via cliff-top A259 spur
Ashdown Forest: London → Eastbourne via A22
Seven Sisters: Brighton → Eastbourne via B2103 coast road past the cliffs (instead of A27)

The listed routes above are some of the UK’s most beloved routes that offer drivers a beautiful perspective when travelling, all of which are based in the county.

Research revealed that three quarters (73%) of drivers would rather take the scenic route for staycations.

Drivers also said that the most enjoyable backdrops were countryside routes at 68%, or beach/coastal drives at 63%, both of which the South East coast holds plenty of.

According to the newly released statistics, the average driver is willing to add 41 minutes to a road trip for a better view along these paths.

This is due to 41% of motorists find driving on motorways 'boring'.

However, despite wanting to soak up the scenery, motorists face several roadblocks. Half admit that they rely on their sat navs so much that they rarely discover scenic routes by accident. Furthermore, 57% of drivers said that they rarely have the time to plan an alternative route before setting off.

The company have said that the reliance on sat-navs whilst driving is a major barrier when discovering scenic routes, with motorists lacking the time or know-how to plan a picturesque detour.

Debates over routes and passenger view-hogging cause arguments, leaving 70% of drivers feeling like they miss out on the scenery

Adam Craddock, temporary car insurance expert at Tempcover, said: "With the UK staycation market seeing strong demand this summer, we wanted to give motorists the best of both worlds.

“Motorways are essential for efficient travel, but we also want to give holidaymakers an easier way to discover stunning scenic detours alongside their usual routes.”

“The UK possesses world-class landscapes that genuinely rival top global destinations..."

To help Brits enjoy the staycation journey as much as the destination, Tempcover has launched the Scenic Route Finder - a free interactive online tool where drivers enter their start and end postcodes to uncover bespoke, alternative scenic routes to a motorway.

In a partnership with musician Ricky Wilson, the frontman of Kaiser Chiefs, the company hope to help Brits switch drivers and enjoy scenic drives through the finder.

This new feature allows users to highlight ‘swap spot’ locations, making it easy for drivers to pull over, switch places, and share the driving duties.

Ricky Wilson said: “As a band we've driven thousands of miles this year alone, and after recently hitting the milestone of 1,500 live shows, you realise how much of the country you miss by sticking rigidly to the sat nav.

“Some of our best moments on tour - like all of us jumping out of the bus to check out Stonehenge - only happened because we took a scenic detour. Now with four-year-old twins, pit stops are non-negotiable, and swapping grey motorway service stations for incredible scenic spots is a game-changer.

“We’ve had some legendary detours over the years, and taking the scenic route turns a boring drive into part of the holiday."

To find out more visit: https://www.tempcover.com/guides/enjoying-your-car/dont-hog-the-view