Young adults hit the road to escape tensions at home

YOUNG motorists are seeking solitude in their vehicles during the lockdown, a survey suggests.

Around 30 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 have escaped their household by finding an excuse to go for a drive, an AA poll of 18,000 motorists indicated.

This is compared with just 8 per cent across all age groups.

One in 25 young drivers has used their car as an office during the crisis.

The vast majority (84 per cent) of those aged 18-24 said they had taken action of some sort to give themselves space away from people they live with, compared with an average across all age ranges of 62 per cent.

The most common form of escapism for respondents was spending time in the garden (53 per cent), while the over-65s were the most likely to say they had sought time alone in a garage (17 per cent) or shed (14 per cent).

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “Our study clearly shows that more than eight in 10 younger adults are finding being in enforced isolation with other members of their household very difficult.

“Many older teenagers and students have had their exams cancelled and are also suffering socially during lockdown. Some have resorted to ‘auto-isolation’ by using their cars to get away from it all.

“Putting your life on hold at just the moment you are beginning to explore it independently is a huge challenge.

“We urge people feeling the strain to talk about their issues rather them keeping them pent up in their cars.”

A separate study by Aviva found a spike in the number of people in their 20s and 30s who wanted to end their relationship due to lockdown, with one in 14 (7 per cent) saying they were thinking of breaking up.

Months spent being cooped up at home with their partners may have been the final straw for some.

In December 2019, just 2 per cent had been planning to end their relationship, Aviva said.

The insurer, which interviewed more than 2,000 people across the UK this month, found 85 per cent of people had embarked on home improvements during the lockdown, with 56 per cent decluttering their property.

More than half (52 per cent) said they had been gardening.

The use of technology has also changed, with the number of people aged 55 and over using video calls increasing from 30 per cent to 38 per cent between December and May.