Almost half (48%) of Irish drivers suffer some level of nervousness when behind the wheel, a new report by released today by Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC (Aviva) reveals.
The report also confirms that one in ten drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 admit to feeling “almost always anxious while driving”.
It was also discovered that men are far more likely that women to be “very” confident in their driving abilities (71% versus 34%), while more women than men reported feeling anxious about the various challenges encountered on Irish roads.
The survey of almost 800 motorists nationwide was carried out by iReach Insights on behalf of Aviva and it found that the Top Five Triggers causing anxiety for drivers in Ireland:
- Icy roads or snow, with almost six in ten (56%) apprehensive about driving in such conditions
- Observing dangerous or aggressive drivers (50%)
- Driving in heavy rain or storms (41%)
- Driving on unfamiliar roads (32%)
- Driving in busy urban areas (24%)
The survey asked respondents how they overcome their driving challenges and found that planning is key when it comes to overcoming driver anxiety. More than one in three (35%) drivers say they combat driver anxiety by planning their journey, so they know exactly where they’re going.
The second most common way that drivers manage their anxiety behind the wheel is to drive slower, with more than one-third (34%) saying that reducing their speed significantly helps, even if they’re not driving particularly fast.
Commenting on the survey findings, Alan Behan, Motor Product Manager, Aviva said: “It is well known that the driving test is one of the most stressful events in a driver’s life. However, our survey shows that anxiety around driving is not just confined to the much-feared driving test. Instead, the anxiety experienced by drivers is much broader and much more of a daily occurrence than we might think.
“Interestingly, a significant cohort of drivers (21%) are nervous when driving on narrow country roads. Given that 72% of road deaths are on rural roads[1], this is perhaps not surprising. Sadly, the latest Road Safety Authority (RSA) figures show that road deaths in the first half of 2023 were the worst for six years[2]. There could be much merit in the Government’s plans[3] to reduce speed limits on secondary, rural, and urban roads.
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