The survey of 1,000 drivers found that 79% of respondents described themselves as worried about driving. The insurer also says that “29 million (drivers) feel a crash is just around the corner’.
Allianz Insurance says that this “accident anxiety” is caused by factors including tailgating (45%), aggressive “road rage” behaviour (41%) and uninsured drivers (29%) –and that 17% of drivers have opted out of making a journey because of this.
In the research, 81% of respondents said they had been involved in a collision that was not their fault. After experiencing a collision, one in five respondents (22%) said they felt more worried, more stressed and less confident behind the wheel: however, just 7% believed that more driver training would solve the problem.
Jon Dye, CEO of Allianz Insurance, said: ‘It’s worrying to see that so many motorists feel they will have an accident, and yet so few feel more driver training would help.
‘Drivers can only drive at their best if they feel calm and alert and not unduly worried about what other motorists are getting up to.’
James Gibson, head of communications at Road Safety GB, said: ‘Motorists need to find ways of coping with the actions of others when they get behind the wheel.
‘The best advice is not to react to the aggressive and inconsiderate behaviour of others as this can trigger road rage. If you are being tailgated always create additional space in front of you and avoid harsh braking. Some drivers are intent on overtaking and the best way to deal with this is to simply allow them to do so when safe.
‘It can be useful to think about the things that cause you stress and anxiety and develop strategies to cope.’
