Volatile pump prices drive motorists into hands of payday lenders But with fuel there is no choice and no leeway you either stay off the road or go into debt to fill the tank. One per cent of all respondents were forced to resort to payday lenders in the last 18 months, with the majority aged either 18-24 or 35-44. Another one per cent sought a loan from their bank, while one in 10 motorists saw their budgets stretched to the point that they needed an overdraft. The survey also showed one per cent pawning a possession and another 13 per cent had to dig into savings. Younger motorists, especially those under 24 were particularly badly hit with nearly a quarter needing an overdraft or dipping into their savings and a further 16 per cent borrowing from friends or family. "Last week, the AA laid bare the consumer backlash to rising fuel prices, showing that yet another pump price swing crashed UK petrol consumption in July down to winter levels," Mr King added. The survey, he said, found unsettling evidence of fuel market-inspired deprivation. Young drivers with little capital to fall back on and who are likely to be on lower pay scales are clearly suffering the most - one in 50 of them have put themselves in real financial danger by taking out a payday loan. But, they are not alone. The survey reveals that one in 50 of middle-aged AA members, aged 35 to 44 years, have also turned to high-interest lenders to counter crippling fuel price surges. These drivers are probably saddled with family costs and mortgages or high rents, and their predicament is even more disturbing.