News Published on : 31-Jan-2022 16:07:46

New research by the Bill Plant driving school has revealed that driving anxiety is on the rise increasing by 84% since 2017 according to Google search data - but what exactly is causing this enormous increase? The research revealed that motorways are one of the main sources of anxiety for drivers alongside driving in bad weather and driving over bridges. Anxiety around a driving test and lessons also unsurprisingly ranked highly after a challenging year for learners where many tests were cancelled and lessons postponed. Feeling anxious about driving in unfamiliar places and driving alone also placed within the top 10. The team at Bill Plant Driving School have partnered with therapists to reveal how to tackle your driving anxiety: If you re feeling anxious increase your driving on a graded basis - start with driving around a quiet car park then familiar roads before embarking on a longer journey If you are worried about experiencing snow on your journey make sure you have prepped your wipers and tyres and check the weather forecast before you set off. Motorways can seem really intimidating but they are statistically the safest roads to drive on. Try driving just one junction with a friend ahead of your journey to build your confidence up. If your driving anxiety is likely to cause a panic attack try to identify your triggers ahead of time whether that s driving in unfamiliar places or driving at a certain time. Remind yourself that you are a safe conscientious driver and you are doing everything you can to keep yourself safe on the road.