A GUIDE TO THE 10 MOSTDANGEROUS VIEWS IN BRITAIN

STONEHENGESTONEHENGE IS A PREHISTORIC MONUMENT SITUATED IN THE HEART OF THE WILTSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE AND ARGUABLY THE UK’S MOST FAMOUS LANDMARK. IN 1986 THE SITE AND ITS SURROUNDINGS WERE ADDED TO UNESCO’S LIST OF WORLD HERITAGE SITES. STONEHENGE IS ALSO ONES OF BRITAIN’S MOST POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, AND HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN VOTED ‘BRITAIN’S BEST HISTORIC SITE’ IN A LIST OF THE UK’S UNMISSABLE ATTRACTIONS.

WHERE TO VIEW SAFELYSTONEHENGE IS BORDERED BY TWO ROADS: THE A344 TO SHREWTON ON THE NORTH SIDE, AND THE A303 TO WINTERBOURNE STOKE TO THE SOUTH. HOWEVER, AS OF SEPTEMBER 2012, THE SECTION OF THE A344 RUNNING ALONGSIDE THE MONUMENT WILL BE CLOSED TO PROTECT THE SITE (AND ULTIMATELY PREVENT DRIVERS FROM BEING DISTRACTED BY IT). A SHUTTLE SERVICE WILL INSTEAD TRANSPORT VISITORS TO AND FROM THE SITE.

26% OF MOTORISTS RESEARCHED BY MORE TH>N ADMITTED THEY HAVE BEEN DISTRACTED BY STONEHENGE WHEN DRIVING PAST IT

4 SECONDS

3 TIMES

STONEHENGE HAS THE POWER TO DISTRACT A MOTORIST FOR AROUND

ON AVERAGE, MOTORISTS WILL TAKE THEIR EYES OF THE ROAD TO LOOK AT STONEHENGE

13% OF MOTORISTS HAVE HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT OR A NEAR MISS AS A RESULT OF BEING DISTRACTED BY STONEHENGE

ANGEL OF THE NORTH

BRITAIN’S LARGEST SCULPTURE, THE ANGEL OF THE NORTH, IS A STEEL SCULPTURE STANDING AT 20 METRES TALL AND WITH WINGS THAT SPAN 54 METRES. THE ANGEL, DESIGNED BY BRITISH SCULPTOR ANTHONY GORMLEY, WAS FINISHED IN FEBRUARY 1998 AND IS LOCATED ON A HILL IN THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF LOW FELL IN GATESHEAD, TYNE AND WEAR. AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION THE ANGEL IS VIS ITED BY 150,000 VISITORS A YEAR, AND VIEWED BY MORE THAN 90,000 DRIVERS ON THE A1 EACH DAY!

WHERE TO VIEW SAFELYTHE SCULPTURE CAN BEST BE ACCESSED VIA THE A167 INTO TYNESIDE. FREE PARKING IS AVAILABLE NEARBY, APPROXIMATELY 150M FROM THE SCULPTURE, WITH SPACE FOR 26 CARS AS WELL AS 4 DISABLED BAYS.

18% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO BEING DISTRACTED BY THE ANGEL, WITH THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF DISTRACTION BEING JUST OVER

11.5% OF MOTORISTS HAD SUFFERED A MINOR ACCIDENT OR NEAR MISS AS A RESULT OF BEING DISTRACTED WHEN DRIVING PAST THE SCULPTURE

3 SECONDS

BLACKPOOLTOWER

11.3% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT OR NEAR MISS AS A RESULT OF BEING DISTRACTED BY THE TOWER

ON AVERAGE, MOTORISTS ARE DISTRACTED BY THE TOWER FOR

AND WILL TAKE THEIR EYES OFF THE ROAD2.93 SECONDS,

2.41 TIMES

ONE OF BRITAIN’S MOST ICONIC LANDMARKS, BLACKPOOL TOWER IS LOCATED ON BLACKPOOL PLEASURE BEACH IN BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE. INSPIRED BY THE EIFFEL TOWER IN PARIS, THE TOWER STANDS AT 518 FEET 9 INCHES TALL AND WAS FIRST OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN 1894. TODAY THE TOWER HOUSES A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ATTRACTIONS, INCLUDING THE ICONIC BLACKPOOL TOWER BALLROOM, MAKING IT ONE OF THE MOST VISITED TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN THE UK.

WHERE TO VIEW SAFELYTHE TOWER IS S ITUATED ON THE A584, WHICH RUNS ALONG THE SEAFRONT IN BLACKPOOL. PARKING IS AVAILABLE NEARBY, EITHER AT THE HOUNDSHILL CENTRE, A MULTI-STORY CAR PARK ADJACENT TO THE TOWER, OR CENTRAL CAR PARKS, AN OPEN-AIR, GROUND LEVEL CAR PARK JUST 5 MINUTES WALK AWAY FROM THE TOWER.

SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS (TOWARDS GLENCOE)

SITUATED IN THE WESTERN SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS, GLENCOE IS WITHOUT DOUBT ONE OF SCOTLAND’S MOST FAMOUS AND SCENIC HIGHLAND GLENS. THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD FLOCK TO THIS AREA OF THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS, A RESULT OF ITS R ICH HISTORY, ACCESSIBLE LOCATION – ONLY AROUND 2 HOURS DRIVE FROM CENTRAL SCOTLAND – AND ABUNDANCE OF PICTURESQUE ROUTES FOR HIKERS.

WHERE TO VIEW SAFELYTHIS AREA OF THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS IS ACCESSIBLE VIA THE A82, WHICH RUNS FROM GLASGOW TO INVERNESS AND SERVES AS THE PRINCIPLE ROUTE FROM LOWLAND SCOTLAND TO THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SIGN POSTED PARKING LAYBYS ALONG THE A82, PROVIDING SAFE VIEWS OF THE HIGHLANDS.

11% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING BEEN DISTRACTED BY THE VIEWS IN THIS AREA OF THE HIGHLANDS

3.2 TIMESON AVERAGE, MOTORISTS WILL TAKE THEIR EYES OF THE ROAD TO ADMIRE THE VIEW

11.25% OF MOTORISTS HAVE HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT OR A NEAR MISS AS A RESULT OF BEING DISTRACTED BY THE VIEW

BIG BEN/HOUSES OFPARLIAMENT

THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER ON PARLIAMENT SQUARE IN LONDON HAS BEEN THE HOME OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT SINCE THE 13TH CENTURY. AS A RESULT, BOTH THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT AND BIG BEN – THE NICKNAME OF THE BELL IN THE CLOCK AT THE NORTH OF THE PALACE – ARE TWO OF THE MOST ICONIC LANDMARKS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

WHERE TO VIEW SAFELYBIG BEN AND THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT ARE LOCATED NEXT TO LONDON’S PARLIAMENT SQUARE, AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE A302 (WESTMINSTER BRIDGE) AND THE A3212. PARKING IS AVAILABLE AT NEARBY ABINGDON MASTERPARK ON GREAT COLLEGE STREET, JUST 5 MINUTES WALK FROM WESTMINSTER PALACE.

10% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING BEEN DISTRACTED BY BIG BEN AND THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

2.95 SECONDSON AVERAGE MOTORISTS WERE DISTRACTED BY

10.4% OF MOTORISTS HAVE HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT OR A NEAR MISS AFTER BEING DISTRACTED BY BIG BEN AND THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

WINDSOR CASTLEWINDSOR CASTLE IS THE OFFICIAL RESIDENCE OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN, S ITUATED IN WINDSOR IN THE ENGLISH COUNTY OF BERKSHIRE. BUILT SHORTLY AFTER THE NORMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND IN 1066, IT HAS BEEN USED AS A ROYAL RESIDENCE SINCE THE TIME OF HENRY I . THE CASTLE COVERS AN AREA OF AROUND 13 ACRES AND HOUSES, AMONGST OTHERS, THE LAVISH EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY STATE APARTMENTS AND THE EARLY 15TH CENTURY ST GEORGE’S CHAPEL, THE BURIAL PLACE OF TEN MONARCHS.

WHERE TO VIEW SAFELYTHE CASTLE IS S ITUATED ON THE B3022 IN WINDSOR. PARKING IS AVAILABLE AT RIVER STREET ( 145 SPACES) AND KING EDWARD VI I ( 192 SPACES), BOTH OF WHICH ARE ONLY A SHORT WALK FROM THE CASTLE ITSELF.

10% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING BEEN DISTRACTED UPON VIEWING THE CASTLE, TAKING THEIR EYES OFF THE ROAD ON AVERAGE

2.23 TIMES

NEARLY 10% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT OR NEAR-MISS AS A RESULT OF BEING DISTRACTED BY WINDSOR CASTLE

TOWER BRIDGETOWER BRIDGE, BUILT BETWEEN 1886 AND 1894, IS A COMBINED BASCULE AND SUSPENSION BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER THAMES IN LONDON, CLOSE TO THE TOWER OF LONDON, FROM WHICH IT TAKES ITS NAME. THE BRIDGE’S TWO TOWERS ARE CONNECTED AT AN UPPER LEVEL BY TWO HORIZONTAL WALKWAYS. ITS CENTRAL LOCATION AND DISTINCTIVE IMAGE, PARTICULARLY WHEN LIT UP AT NIGHT, HAVE LED TO THE TOWER REPRESENTING AN ICONIC SYMBOL OF LONDON, AND ONE OF ITS MOST FAMOUS LANDMARKS.

WHERE TO VIEW SAFELYTHE BRIDGE ITSELF FORMS PART OF THE A100, AND THE BEST VIEW CAN BE GAINED FROM THE GROUND, ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RIVER. PARKING IS AVAILABLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER, AT A NUMBER OF CAR PARKS, FOR EXAMPLE AT BUTLER’S WHARF ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BRIDGE, TWO MINUTES WALK AWAY, OR AT THE TOWER THISTLE HOTEL, LOCATED ON THE NORTH BANK OF THE RIVER.

9% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING BEEN DISTRACTED BY A VIEW OF THE BRIDGE

2.33 TIMESON AVERAGE MOTORISTS TOOK THEIR EYES OF THE ROAD TO ADMIRE THE VIEW

9.95% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT OR A NEAR MISS AS A RESULT OF BEING DISTRACTED BY TOWER BRIDGE

CLIFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE

THE CLIFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE CONNECTS CLIFTON IN BRISTOL AND LEIGH WOODS IN NORTH SOMERSET, SPANNING THE PICTURESQUE AVON GORGE. THE BRIDGE, COMPLETED IN 1864, HAS COME TO BECOME A DISTINCTIVE LANDMARK, VISITED BY PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. YET, DESPITE ITS LANDMARK STATUS THE BRIDGE CONTINUES TO RETAIN ITS ORIGINAL FUNCTION WITH UP TO 12,000 MOTOR VEHICLES CROSSING IT EVERY DAY.

WHERE TO VIEW SAFELYTHE CLIFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE FORMS PART OF THE B3129 ROAD. HOWEVER THE BRIDGE ITSELF CAN BE BEST VIEWED ON FOOT. ‘ON STREET’ PARKING IS AVAILABLE IN BOTH CLIFTON AND LEIGH WOODS, ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE. THE BRIDGE CAN ALSO BE VIEWED FROM THE CLIFTON OBSERVATORY, A SHORT WALK FROM THE BRIDGE ITSELF.

9% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING BEEN DISTRACTED BY THE BRIDGE IN THE PAST

2.33 TIMESON AVERAGE MOTORISTS TOOK THEIR EYES OF THE ROAD TO ADMIRE THE VIEW

10% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT OR NEAR MISS AS A RESULT OF BEING DISTRACTED BY THE VIEW

CHEDDAR GORGECHEDDAR GORGE, S ITUATED IN THE HEART OF SOM-ERSET, IS ONE OF ENGLAND’S MOST SPECTACULAR LANDSCAPES. THE GORGE IS ENGLAND’S LARGEST, AT ALMOST 400 FEET DEEP AND THREE MILES LONG, AND IS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEGUN FORMING ABOUT ONE MILLION YEARS AGO, DURING THE LAST ICE AGE. NOT ONLY IS THE GORGE STEEPED IN YEARS OF PREHISTORIC HISTORY, IT IS ALSO AN INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR CAVE AND ROCK CLIMBING, MAKING IT AN EXTREMELY POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION WITH AROUND 500 VISITORS A YEAR.

WHERE TO VIEW SAFELYTHE GORGE IS S ITUATED OFF THE B3135. PARKING IS AVAILABLE AT A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS BOTH NEAR TO AND AT THE GORGE, EITHER AT CLIFF STREET CAR PARK WHICH CONTAINS OVER 150 SPACES, OR AT THE GORGE AND ITS CAVES THEMSELVES, WITH 50 SPACES AT LAKESIDE, 50 AT COX’S CAVE AND 300 AVAILABLE BEYOND GOUGH’S CAVE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE GORGE.

8% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING BEEN DISTRACTED BY CHEDDAR GORGE IN THE PAST

3 SECONDS

ON AVERAGE, DRIVERS ADMITTED TO BEING DISTRACTED BY THE SITE OF THE GORGE FOR OVER

10.2% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED THAT VIEWS OF THE GORGE HAD CAUSED THEM TO HAVE A MINOR ACCIDENT OR NEAR MISS

SEVERNBRIDGES

THE SEVERN BRIDGE IS A MOTORWAY SUSPENSION BRIDGE CONNECTING AUST IN SOUTH GLOUCESTER-SHIRE, ENGLAND AND CHEPSTOW IN SOUTH WALES. THE BRIDGE SPANS THE RIVER SEVERN AND THE RIVER WYE AND IS THE ORIGINAL SEVERN ROAD CROSSING BETWEEN ENGLAND AND WALES. IT WAS OPENED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH I I IN 1966 REPLACE THE AUST FERRY.

WHERE TO VIEW SAFELYTHE SEVERN BRIDGES CAN BE VIEWED SAFELY FROM A NUMBER OF VANTAGE POINTS INCLUDING: SEVERN WAY FOOTPATH AND CYCLE PATH, WHICH PROVIDES VIEWS OF THE ESTUARY AND THE TWO BRIDGES; AUST, WHICH FEATURES A VIEWING AREA, NORTH OF THE SEVERN BRIDGE AND ACCESSIBLE VIA A FOOTPATH ON SOUTH SIDE OF AUST SERVICES CAR PARK; AND BLACK ROCK PICNIC AREA, WHICH PROVIDES VIEWS OF ESTUARY AND BOTH BRIDGES. THE PICNIC AREA CAN BE FOUND BY FOLLOWING SIGNS FOR PORTSKEWETT FROM B4245.

8% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING BEEN DISTRACTED BY THE VIEW OF THE SEVERN BRIDGES IN THE PAST

9.9% OF MOTORISTS ADMITTED TO HAVING HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT OR A NEAR MISS AS A RESULT OF THE VIEW

2.21 TIMESON AVERAGE MOTORISTS TOOK THEIR EYES OF THE ROAD TO LOOK AT THE BRIDGE