One in six motorists say they are baffled by parking apps, confusing rules and paying with their phone.
Researchers found that 15 per cent of drivers are anxious that they will be ticketed and fined because rules are too hard to follow.
The survey – from car manufacturer Dacia and JustPark, an app that helps drivers find parking spaces – discovered that complicated street signs, the growing need to use parking apps and paying by smartphone are the main causes of the confusion and fear.
There are now 30 different parking apps in the UK and drivers find them confusing and anxiety-inducing
Pay and display machines that take coins and cards are being replaced, meaning motorists have to sign up to a smartphone app the first time they turn up at many car parks.
There are now 30 different parking apps in the UK but poor internet coverage can make using them hard and campaigners say older people are badly affected as they are more likely to have mobiles that cannot run apps.
A recent RAC survey found that 83 per cent of drivers prefer cash or contactless card over apps to pay for parking.
