Absolute Radio: Discover real music

Birmingham's Spaghetti Junction 'Britain's most intimidating road'

The second most hair-raising intersection area, according to the survey of 3,225 drivers, was the M8 and its junctions through central Glasgow while Marble Arch in central London was third.

Almost one in 10 drivers say they avoid ''scary'' junctions altogether and as a result drive an average of 238 miles extra a year on detours.

Road systems in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Leeds were labelled by motorists as particularly difficult to navigate.

Large roundabouts were considered to present the most confusing aspect of urban driving, followed by one-way systems, speed humps, cameras and box junctions.

More than a fifth of drivers were more concerned about breaking down at an intersection than at any other point.

A quarter of those polled by breakdown company Britannia Rescue thought many road junctions were badly designed.

Britannia Rescue general manager Simon Stevens said: ''All drivers have to deal with particularly hairy intersections from time to time.

"But what this research shows is that badly designed and confusing junctions are spoiling the driving experience for many motorists.

''Some will even drive hundreds of miles out of their way every year to avoid difficult junctions. We urge motorists to familiarise themselves with tricky road junctions so that they are better prepared when they have to use one.''

Britain's ''scariest'' junctions:

1. Gravelly Hill (Spaghetti Junction), Birmingham

2. M8 junctions through central Glasgow

3. Marble Arch, London

4. Magic Roundabout, Swindon, Wiltshire

5. Hanger Lane Gyratory, west London

6. M5/M6 intersection, Birmingham

7. Piccadilly Circus, London

8. Five Ways junction, Birmingham

9. Magic Roundabout, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

10. Kingston Bridge, Glasgow.