Study: Lockdown has steered drivers towards extra stress

STRESS and anger has increased among drivers since the first coronavirus lockdown, a survey suggests.

Some 11% of motorists said they have those feelings every time they get behind the wheel, according to the poll commissioned by road safety charity Brake and insurer Direct Line.

That is compared with 8% in March 2020. A total of 90% of respondents said they feel stressed or angry on at least some journeys, up from 84% a year ago.

Some 2,013 drivers were questioned for the research.

Separate Department for Transport figures show 123 people were killed and a further 1,126 were seriously injured in crashes on Britain’s roads in 2019 in which aggressive driving was a contributory factor.

Brake director of campaigns Joshua Harris said: “The past year has been really challenging for people all across the UK, in many ways, 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.”