New research from Group 1 Automotive reveals that Brits visit fast food drive-thrus an average of 58 times each year, spending a whooping £595.34 annually.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, McDonald’s took the top spot as the UK’s favourite drive-thru restaurant, with almost two-thirds (65%) of people putting it in their top spot for a bite to eat.
With 2,200 drive thrus all across the nation, McDonald’s locations account for 938 of these (almost half!), with the golden arches becoming a staple of many road trips.
Brits next favourite drive-thru locations were KFC (12%), Starbucks (5%), Burger King (5%) and Costa Coffee (4%).
Spending an average of £10.30 per visit, the data revealed that burgers come out on top as Brits favourite drive-thru meal (49%).
Following on from this, the other favourite menu items were fried chicken (11%), wraps and sandwiches (10%), chicken nuggets (9%) and hot drinks (7%).
On the other end of the spectrum, when asked their least favourite drive-thru order, UK adults revealed that salads/pasta pots were their most hated meal, with 26% of the vote.
Almost half (48%) stated that they did not try to actively seek out a healthy option at a drive-thru, however, over two in five (43%) said that they wished they had more healthy choices available to them.
Two thirds of us (66%) would also like to see other cuisines at drive-thru restaurants, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Italian food.
The research revealed that 1 in 10 people had damaged their vehicle while at a drive-thru, with the shape of the road and other drivers at the location being reported as the main culprits.
When asked about their visits to drive-thru locations, the study found that a further quarter of people (25%) have had near misses, which may come to no surprise as one in five (22%) said they get easily distracted when eating whilst driving.
So while a third (36%) of us will hurry home to enjoy our drive-thru meal, one in five (22%) are navigating the car park to eat our meals there and then. With a build up of stationary cars, and possible distracted drivers, it’s clear to see how it can be hazardous to navigate your way around drive thru restaurants, further increasing the risk of accidents.
It is evident that while drive-thrus may be linked with convenience and tasty treats, caution is essential for customers navigating these fast food restaurants.
