Stress and anger behind the wheel has increased since the first national lockdown.

New research from Brake and Direct Line, has revealed that drivers admit that negative moods are having a detrimental effect on their driving behaviour.

Behave yourself

 

The findings, published in the partnership’s new ‘Driving behaviour’ report, highlights that nine in ten drivers admit feeling stressed or angry when behind the wheel. This is a rise of 6% on figures from March 2020, when the UK entered its first lockdown. Perhaps more troublingly, more than one in ten drivers now feel stressed or angry every time they are behind the wheel. This is up 3% over the same period and means that more drivers are struggling with their attitudes behind the wheel every time they drive.

Brake and Direct Line have published a new ‘Driving behaviour’ report, to raise awareness of the dangers of negative moods behind the wheel. This is timed to coincide with the Governments roadmap out of lockdown, an more people getting behind the wheel.

Government statistics show that in 2019, aggressive driving contributed to 110 fatal crashes and one in 20 crashes which resulted in serious injury.

Step up attitudes

The road safety charity has published the following series of simple steps to ease a driver’s mood behind the wheel:

  • Focus on calm, controlled breathing, which can help release muscular tension and relieve stress.
  • Plan your route carefully, and allow plenty of time for your journey to avoid feeling pressured to rush.
  • Drive at appropriate speeds for the road environment and avoid overtaking unless absolutely necessary, to reduce feelings of tension.
  • Have something to eat before setting off, as hunger can affect your concentration. However, do not eat at the wheel as this could distract you from driving.
  • Consider alternatives to driving such as walking, cycling, or public transport, as these may help you to arrive feeling calmer and more refreshed.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake, said: “The past year has been really challenging for people all across the UK and our research shows that driving behaviour may also have been affected by the pandemic.

“With the end of lockdown on the horizon, and our study showing that levels of stress and anger behind the wheel are on the up, it is vital that drivers are aware of the impact that negative moods can have on their driving behaviour.

“Every time you get behind the wheel, you are responsible for a machine with the capacity to cause catastrophic injury and even death, and so we urge all drivers to be aware of their moods and do all they can to minimise the impact of stress and anger on their driving.”