Brits will spend on average 2549 hours of their lifetime searching for a parking space, new research has found today. ParkatmyHouse, the company that lets drivers park in private spaces at homes, schools, churches and more, polled drivers to find out their biggest driving pain points. Over 45% of drivers surveyed stated that finding parking was their biggest headache, followed by other drivers’ lack of manners (22%) and middle lane hoggers (17%).

It’s perhaps unsurprising that parking topped the poll with more than 81% of us spending up to 20 minutes looking for a parking space when we reach our destination. The typical British driver makes more than 400 car journeys a year from long runs on motorways but, more commonly, lots of smaller trips locally such as the shops or school. Many have to drive for work and end up in unfamiliar locations where they have to search the streets to find somewhere that isn't restricted to residents only or already congested.

And when it comes to waiting times, it appears that not all cities are equal. According to those drivers polled, London is by far the worst offender with it taking drivers up to 20 minutes 30 seconds to find a parking space, with Manchester (15 minutes 45 seconds) and Bristol (13 minutes 15 seconds) following in second and third place.

Top Ten Worst Cities for finding parking are:

1. London - 20 mins 30 seconds

2. Manchester - 15 minutes 45 seconds

3. Bristol - 13 minutes 15 seconds

4. Southampton - 12 minutes 15 seconds

5. Wolverhampton - 10 minutes 35 seconds

6. Liverpool - 9 minutes 20 seconds

7. Norwich - 9 minutes 10 seconds

8. Leeds - 8 minutes 15 seconds

9. Cardiff - 8 minutes 10 seconds

10. York - 8 minutes

The research coincides with the release of the free ParkatmyHouse iPhone app, set to change the way we park. For the first time in the UK, users are able to search for, book in advance and pay for a parking space at their destination using their mobile phone. Time savings of over 50 hours a year could be made. However, your bank balance could be set to benefit too, with parking costing typically less than 50% of a car park or parking meter. Meanwhile, parking space owners can set their own availability and can see exactly who will be parking and the vehicle that they’ll be parking.

Alex Stephany, CEO of ParkatmyHouse said: “It perhaps comes as no surprise that cities like London and Manchester have parking congestion problems. As if motorists haven’t had enough to contend with as fuel and motor insurance costs have risen over recent years, they now spend precious time waiting to park when they reach their destination.

“We all know it can be hard to plan ahead, but the way people park is changing, not just in the UK but globally. We’re hoping to be at the forefront of that change with our app, creating a platform that allows anyone to book parking spaces as easily as buying goods on Amazon.”