A new study of 2,000 motorists has found the major stresses which affect our everyday driving.
The research by Rescue Remedy found that almost of those surveyed were more stressed out by other drivers, and a third reveal that driving is the most stressful time of the day, while 42 per cent of drivers feel more worried when they have passengers in the car compared to driving alone.
In a list of the top 50 most stressful things about driving, the number one source of worry was driving in the snow, closely followed by driving in an unknown area. Driving in the rain, tailgaters and hitting a pothole made up the top five.
It’s not all stress in a car though, 46 per cent admit to making a lot of decisions in a car as it gives them more time to think and another 59 per cent believe the car is a good place to have discussions with others.
A spokesman for Rescue Remedy said: “The research shows how many elements there are to being in a car which can make it stress-inducing.
“It’s often hard to find balance and patience when there are a lot of external factors at play, and car journeys can often perpetuate worries about other life pressures.
“For many, this is what can make driving even more stressful, especially during a commute marred with delays, diversions and noise.”
TOP 50 MOST STRESSFUL THINGS ABOUT DRIVING:
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Driving in the snow
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Driving in an unknown area
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Driving in the rain
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Tailgaters
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Hitting a pothole
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Driving in the fog
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Driving in the dark
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Feeling like a large vehicle e.g. lorry/bus is too close to your car
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Getting a warning light
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Finding a parking space
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Driving down narrow country lanes
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Driving with the fuel light on
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Having to reverse in a narrow road with cars either side
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Parallel parking
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Merging onto a motorway
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Hesitating about taking over a cyclist
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Blind corners
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Being watched by other people when trying to park
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Sitting in traffic
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Missing a motorway exit and having to drive all the way back around
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Having to change lanes in peak time
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Fear of people going into the back of you
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Mastering a three lane roundabout
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Leaving the motorway at the wrong junction
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Being the driver for passengers you’re not very familiar with e.g. colleagues
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Sunday drivers
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Back seat drivers
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Doing a hill start
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Driving while your passengers are being loud
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Reversing out of a parking space
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Worrying about getting a flat tyre
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Hitting a car when parking
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Navigating a double roundabout
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Defrosting the car
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Pulling out around a bus at a bus stop
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Driving with a child in the car
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Taking over another vehicle on a motorway
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Rubber necking
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Being in a car with your partner
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Pulling out to join a roundabout
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Box junctions
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Driving somewhere with no signal
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Hitting a parked car when driving past it
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Remembering which side of the car the petrol cap is on
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Changing gear while driving up a hill
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Being in the wrong gear
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Driving with a pet in the car
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Not knowing how to fully work the lights
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Mini roundabouts
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Not knowing how to fully turn on the wipers