Churchill

Millions of drivers are scared of taking a right turn

 

23/03/2007

 

Turning right, joining the motorway and navigating roundabouts are part of every day motoring for most drivers, yet new research reveals they all feature in a list of things that drivers fear when on the roads.

The research, by car insurer Churchill shows that Brits are such frightened drivers, that millions avoid certain routes so they don’t have to turn right.  More than a third of women (34%) and 29% of men admit they actually bypass certain routes during busy periods to avoid right turns across traffic.

 

It’s not just turning right that strikes fear into the hearts of drivers, but roundabouts, cyclists, parking and driving at night all cause trauma for fully qualified drivers.

 

Four in ten motorists (43%) don’t feel confident enough to park where they want. 13% of these will endure a long walk to avoid parking in a ‘tight’ spot, 6% only park in spaces they can drive into forwards, and 8% avoid multi-storey car parks. Others won’t park on the high street for fear of embarrassing themselves (8%) and 7% refuse to parallel park.

Motorways are another big fear factor according to Churchill’s survey. One in ten people (11%) avoid driving on the motorway and 14% only do it when they absolutely have to. One in five people admit that joining a motorway scares them, and once on there, two per cent admit to driving only in the left hand lane.

Almost half of all motorists (49%) are not confident to drive at night - around 14% of women and 5% of men avoid driving when dusk falls. Poor visibility, being followed by a stranger and sheer panic are all reasons people avoid night time driving.

 

Frances Browning, spokeswoman for Churchill Car Insurance said: “When motorists pass their driving tests, it doesn’t necessarily qualify them as a confident driver. As our research shows, there are those who actively avoid certain driving manoeuvres, sometimes to the extent that they don’t drive on specific roads or at specific times. It may be worth undertaking a refresher course now and again to increase driver confidence and make the roads safer for everyone.”

 

In addition, drivers’ fears are exacerbated when they leave Britain’s shores with 16% of women and 8% of men refusing to drive on the continent. Drivers say they don’t understand the road signs, have heard horror stories from pals about bad experiences or fear they could get lost.

 

Women’s top ten driving fears:

  1. Turning right
  2. Joining a motorway
  3. Hidden entrances
  4. Overtaking a cyclist
  5. Roundabouts
  6. Driving near schools
  7. Learner drivers
  8. One way streets
  9. Dual carriageways
  10. Mini roundabouts

 

Men’s top ten driving fears:
  1. Turning right
  2. Hidden entrances
  3. Driving near schools
  4. Overtaking cyclists
  5. Learner drivers
  6. Roundabouts
  7. Joining a motorway
  8. One way streets
  9. Mini roundabouts
  10. Varying speed limits

 

2,638 people were surveyed on behalf of Churchill during February 2007.

 

For more information please contact:

 

Frances Browning
Churchill Insurance
020 8313 5965
pressoffice@churchill.com