Young motorists willing to drive extra four miles to avoid cattle grids

Some do not know what they are for and think driving over them will damage vehicle, study shows

Young urban motorists are willing to take detours of up to four miles just to avoid cattle grids, according to research.
A third of drivers aged 18-34 admitted taking alternative routes to avoid passing over cattle grids, while a fifth of the same cohort think that driving over the grids damages their vehicles.
They also reported taking entirely different routes to a destination to avoid cattle grids, with the same proportion claiming to be “completely unaware” of their purpose.
Car insurer Direct Line, which commissioned a study of 2,000 UK drivers, said its findings showed that there was a “generational divide” in how motorists approach the cattle containment devices.
It found that just two per cent of over-55s said they make detours to avoid the road features, which are commonly found on country B-roads in areas used for grazing sheep and cows.
Cattle grids are pits in a road’s surface covered with rounded metal bars. Traffic can safely pass over such grids but livestock cannot cross them without their hooves slipping between the bars, deterring animals from leaving their fields.
Drivers from urban areas are increasingly less likely to encounter livestock when venturing outside towns and cities, with government data showing that the number of sheep in Britain has fallen by three per cent since 2019.
Lorraine Price, head of motor insurance at Direct Line, said: “For many living in rural areas cattle grids are a road well-trodden, yet there appears to be a cohort of younger and urban drivers who find them confusing and actively avoid them.
“For these drivers, some simple advice such as safely slowing down when you approach a cattle grid, being aware of the increased likelihood of seeing animals in the surrounding area and being conscious not to play loud music that may disturb them are all good tips”.
One young driver said she regularly takes a detour on her daily drive to avoid cattle grids.
Jessica Banfield, 26, a recruiter from Crawley, said: “I’ve always worried that cattle grids might be damaging to my car, but after recently starting a new job I now take a diversion on my commute – adding at least 10 minutes to my journey every morning and evening.
Ms Banfield, who drives an Audi A1, added: “Sussex is full of cattle grids and I’ll always try to avoid them if I can, even if it means turning around to find another route.”
The AA advises motorists: “Cattle grids are designed to be driven over, so if you just slow down a bit when approaching them, you should be OK.”
Meanwhile, Direct Line found that a quarter of young drivers maintained speed or even accelerated when approaching cattle grids.