27 November 2008
Motorists are being urged to plan their Christmas shopping trips ahead in order to avoid spending more than necessary on fuel and parking charges.
According to uSwitch.com, drivers could waste over £93 million getting to the shops this Christmas, bumping up the overall cost of motoring and eating into their gift-buying budgets.
The independent price comparison and switching service found that 42% of consumers drive to high streets or retail centres to do their Christmas shopping - travelling around seven miles and five miles to each respectively.
It also found that 48% make multiple trips to the shops, paying an average of £5.17 each time for a four-hour stay in a town centre car park.
This is in addition to other motoring costs such as road tax, repairs and car insurance. Indeed, separate research by uSwitch.com reveals that motorists now pay around £2,395 a year to keep their car on the road.
Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com, said: "This credit crunch Christmas it makes sense to plan any shopping trips in advance so you don't end up wasting money on car parking fees."