Travelling by car drives us round the bend

Victor Meldrew is alive and well on UK streets according to new research into road rages, traffic terrors and steering wheel stress. The survey[i], which examined the attitudes of over 1,000 Brits to driving in the UK today, surprisingly found that younger drivers are more inclined to keep a lid on their frustrations at the wheel while the over 55s are the most up tight when in the driving seat, losing their temper the most over traffic jams (53%) and road works (52%).

While calm, however, it would seem that younger drivers lack the stamina of the older generations with almost three-quarters (73%) of respondents aged 17-24 admitting to finding driving exhausting.

Gender stereotypes over sense of direction appeared to be confirmed by the report which found that considerably more women (43%) than men (28%) become stressed about getting lost. Researchers, sadly, were unable to establish, however, how many of the men questioned would actually admit to getting lost in the first place.

The greatest annoyances for drivers ranked as follows:
traffic jams (47%)
other drivers (46%)
roadworks (44%)
children arguing in the car (25%)

Just 4% of lucky, presumably rather zen, respondents insisted they find nothing stressful about being on the road.

The research has also shown the physical problems that manifest themselves as a result of driving on Britain’s roads. According to those surveyed the biggest symptoms associated with driving include tiredness (54%), headaches (32%) and a short temper (31%) and, in fact, 1 in 7 Brits will not enjoy the rest of the day after a stressful drive.

Other interesting findings;
The youngest age group (17-24) find getting lost the most stressful (69%) and also find petrol costs the most expensive (39%).
78% of respondents agreed that compared with car travel, train travel gives more time for relaxation
A huge 80% of Doncaster residents perceived driving to be more stressful than taking the train
Men are more likely to get angry and have a short temper after a long drive (33%) where as women tend to feel more anxious (38%)
Those in Yorkshire were the most stressed when it comes to driving when 86% admitting to be annoyed by road works where as in Edinburgh residents find other drivers the most stressful part of driving (59%).
Bristolians seem to be the worst at directions with 44% admitting to getting lost regularly! Those from Nottingham and Southampton are also more likely to find driving stressful than others

When it comes to the roads we all dread travelling on, perhaps not surprisingly the M25 has once again topped the poll as the most stressful stretch of road for reasons including worst condition of road, least interesting scenery and lack of service stations. Interestingly the M25 was not associated with speed related issues – perhaps for its reputation for an average speed of 55mph[ii]! Instead, the M1 won the accolade for the most stressful stretch of road in this category.

When it comes to our hectic highways, this is how they were rated (worst stated first);
Overall most stressful: M25, M6, M1, A1, M4
Worst traffic; M25, M6, M1, M5, M4
Lack of service stations; M25, M3, A30, M11, M8
Speeding; M1, M4, M5, M25, M40
Worst condition of road; M25, M6, M1, A483, A30

The new research has been released today by Virgin Trains to support their advertising campaign ‘Don’t Go Zombie’. Says Jim Rowe, Senior Communications Manager Virgin Trains, “We have always known that ‘road trips’ can be difficult and its interesting to see whether it’s the traffic, road works or arguing children in the back that cause the most problems for stressed out drivers. The ‘Don’t Go Zombie, Go Virgin Trains’ campaign showcases the physical issues and ailments associated with car travel and promotes the time enrichment properties of traveling by train”.

Says David Moxon, Health Psychologist and Author, “With more cars and more roadworks than ever before, the results of this survey are perhaps inevitable. Life in general at the moment is for many of us also more stressful than it has ever been with unemployment rates high, swingeing government funding cuts, and not even a solid England World Cup performance to brighten our days. These factors will of course impact on our behaviour on the roads and ability to cope with the stresses driving brings…”

Tips before and after travel could include:

Clench your muscles, hold them tight for 10 seconds then release them. Use this technique with your hands, feet and shoulders
Make an effort to consciously slow down your general pace of walking and talking before and after driving
Make time to go for frequent walks – even if it’s only for a few minutes in the open air (again particularly useful before and after driving)
Make sure you drink plenty of water – this is particularly important when you are on a journey
We are social animals and social support is vital for healthy mental well-being - so make sure you share your worries with someone close and tell them why you are feeling stressed

Tips during travel could include:

· Listen to calming music (classical is particularly good)
· Plan your route in advance
· If you get caught in traffic jams consciously think of people you care about
· Keep the car cool - if you have climate control use it
· Travel by train instead!

Virgin Trains unleashed their new £6.3 million advertising campaign to the nation in late May which demonstrates the superior service available on Virgin Trains and demonises other forms of transport, in particular car and plane. The illustrated creative is a new look and feel for Virgin Trains and wonderfully captures the potential hellishness of travelling by car and plane that turns regular people into frustrated zombies, in Virgin’s typical tongue-in-cheek style.

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For further information please contact Sophie Lennon or Anna Butterworth at The SPA Way on 020 7403 6900 or email sophie.lennon@thespaway.com

EDITORS’ NOTES

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Virgin Trains is the brand name of Virgin Rail Group. We have operated the West Coast passenger train franchise since 1997; the current franchise runs to March 2012.
[i] Tickbox interviewed a random sample of 1005 adults aged 16+ between 13th and 21st May 2010. Surveys were conducted across the country.
[ii] Average taken from www.frixo.com/m25-colockwise.asp and www.frixo.com/m25-anticolckwise.asp July 5th 2010 between 6am and 8pm.