Young WA drivers stressed at the wheel
26/08/2010
Young WA drivers are more likely to be stressed at the wheel than older drivers, new research by SGIO has revealed.
The research revealed that young people aged 18 – 29 were the most likely age group to find driving stressful, with nearly half (47 per cent) of young people admitting to feeling stressed by driving compared to 34 per cent of older people.
The SGIO survey also found that 43 per cent of young people had experienced a near miss or collision as a result of being stressed at the wheel and not concentrating properly.
SGIO spokesperson Rob Cory said that the actions of other drivers, namely not merging correctly, tailgating or avoiding the road rules were the leading causes of driver stress given in the survey.
“It’s clear from our research that many of us are either hitting the road stressed or becoming stressed while driving due to what’s happening on the road around us, which could put our focus and safety at risk,” he said.
The WA insurer also found that women (39 per cent) were more likely to feel stressed at the wheel than men (30 per cent).
41 per cent of WA drivers voted the afternoon peak as the most stressful time to hit the road, compared to 33 per cent who found themselves more frazzled in the morning.
Mr Cory said that it could be due to WA’s earlier daylight in summer, but Perth seemed to be a city that liked to get on the go early.
“Traffic conditions may be less stressful in the morning in Perth but it could also be that drivers are in a better frame of mind to cope with the morning peak,” he said.
To avoid stress on the road, SGIO recommends drivers:
- take a deep breath if caught in traffic or flustered by other drivers – getting frustrated won’t help your stress levels or your safety;
- consider car pooling with others; or catch public transport on certain days to avoid driving five days a week.
* Based on a survey of 500 WA drivers by Pure Profile Research for SGIO in July 2010.