Sand car-stle: Over 5,000 tonnes of sand brought home from the beach

• 5,243 tonnes of sand will be brought home in cars from the beach this year, weighing the equivalent of 1747 ice-cream vans
• Over half (31 million) of UK adults have visited, or plan to visit, sandy beaches in the UK in 2024
• A Direct Line experiment shows an average family brings home just under 100 grams of sand in their car each trip, equating to one and a half scoops of ice cream!

A new experiment¹ conducted by Direct Line motor insurance reveals an average of 94g of sand comes back in every car after a day at the seaside. Those who travel by car will take on average 2.5 trips to the beach, resulting in a staggering 5,243 tonnes of sand travelling home in our cars this year alone, the same weight as 1747 ice-cream vans.

The research found over half of the UK (31 million) have been to, or plan to, visit a sandy UK beach this year². With majority travelling to the beach by car (69 per cent), it is unsurprising that we are taking home so much sand.

The top culprits for getting cars sandy include shoes and clothing (47 per cent), accessories, like towels and buckets, (24 per cent), the kids (19 per cent) and dogs (13 per cent). Despite many beachgoers doing their best to avoid a mess, by shaking (62 per cent) or rinsing off (25 per cent), almost a fifth (19 per cent) stay chilled and avoid taking any steps to stop bringing the sand into the car.   

Once home, only around a sixth (16 per cent) of people vacuum or remove the sand immediately. On average it appears Brits are leaving the clean-up for over two weeks (17 days). For 800,000 Brits, the sand souvenirs are still there six months later.

While people all across the UK will travel to a beach this year, residents of Leeds take the top spot for visiting sandy beaches (64 per cent). This is very closely followed by Manchester (62 per cent) and Sheffield (62 per cent). Unsurprisingly, residents of pebbly-beach Brighton had the least uptake of people visiting a sandy beach this year at only 42 per cent, as residents may be content with the one right on their doorstep.

Table one: Residents of cities who have been to or plan on visiting a sandy UK beach this year.

Source: Direct Line Home Insurance 2024

Going to the beach this weekend? Here’s Direct Line’s tips to get sand out of your car:

1. Allow the sand to dry – it’s a lot easier to remove when it isn’t wet
2. Get brushing: use a hand brush or even a toothbrush to loosen sand out of cracks before vacuuming
3. Stick it: use blu tak or tape in your glovebox to lift it out of small crevices  
4. Stay cool: use a hair drier to blow sand out of small gaps and then vacuum it up
5. Use a roller: use a lint roller to lift the sand off fabric surfaces 
6. Don’t overlook it: sand can end up in the weirdest places so remember to look where you least expect it – even seat pockets of glove boxes 

Gunnar Peters, Product Manager for Direct Line Motor Insurance said: “A trip to the seaside is a fixture in British summers for many of us – whatever the weather. Whilst the beach is fun on the day, I’m sure most of us would prefer it to stay there. Sand is a tricky substance that can be difficult to remove despite best efforts and it’s no wonder many continue to find it days, weeks and even months later.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1.      Direct Line asked 10 families to visit beaches across the UK during July 2024. Each travelled with a freshly valeted car and measured how much sand was in their car on their return. Totals ranged from 21g to 205g, with an average of 94g.

2.      Research conducted by Opinium Research on behalf of Direct Line Insurance with a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults between 30^th July – 2^nd August 2024.

For further information please contact:

Direct Line Group:

Chelsey Wheeler

Deputy Head of News and Issues

Email: [email protected]

PR team:

Fleishman Hillard

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 07808 727280

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.