More than a third of motorists suffer from driving anxiety

04 September 2023

More than a third of motorists feel anxious behind the wheel, with almost half (43%) of this group saying nerves affect their ability to drive, new research reveals.

Insurance provider Aviva recently surveyed 1,441 motorists from around the UK and discovered that more than a third feel anxious whilst driving. Key findings include:

• 43 per cent believe anxiety affects their ability to drive.
• Motorists most likely to suffer from driving anxiety hailed from:
  • London (44 per cent).
  • East of England (38 per cent).
  • Yorkshire and the Humber (38 per cent).
• Those from the North East are least likely to have driving anxiety (23 per cent).
• Motorists who regularly travel on minor connecting roads or in urban areas are most likely to feel anxious whilst driving (32 per cent and 31 per cent respectively).
• Interestingly, just 7 per cent of those who drive regularly on motorways reported feeling anxious whilst driving.
• According to DVLA information obtained via a freedom of information request, 5,614 motorists reported symptoms of anxiety whilst driving in 2022.

Driving anxiety can result in physical symptoms including a rapid heartbeat (23 per cent of respondents reported experiencing this symptom), sweating (22 per cent), nausea (15 per cent) or chest pains and difficulty breathing (9 per cent).

Despite this, just 39 per cent of the respondents who suffered from driving anxiety said that they had reported their symptoms to the DVLA.

The research found that driving anxiety was more common amongst young people (62 per cent of those aged 25 or under).

Aviva spokesperson Lorna Whalley said, “Feeling anxious when driving can be very distressing for motorists and can even prevent them getting behind the wheel. However, there are ways that people can aim to get on top of their nerves, from learning calming techniques, to using technology to identify areas for improvement. This can help people to become more confident drivers, which can mean safer roads for both motorists and pedestrians.”

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