Motorists were last year hit with one parking ticket every four seconds, it was claimed today.
A study has also found the average number of Penalty Charge Notices issued per council was more than 23,000, while one in 15 parking fines were successfully challenged.
Local authorities issued an estimated 7.8million parking PCNs in 2013 worth £255million, according to figures revealed in responses to Freedom of Information requests by the insurer Churchill.