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One in four drivers admit to being more nervous behind the wheel since lockdown

Driving less during the coronavirus pandemic has knocked some drivers’ confidence.

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Woman driving car

Twenty-four per cent of motorists say they are more nervous while driving now than they were before the coronavirus pandemic began.

More than a year of sporadic lockdowns and new attitudes to working from home have meant that many people are driving considerably less miles than they were before.

And according to Spanish car maker Seat, 44 per cent of those who said they were more nervous about driving attributed this to having spent less time behind the wheel over the past year.

Traffic in Watford
(Seat)

Of the 2,000 people surveyed, 40 per cent said they have travelled less than 2,500 miles since the first lockdown started in March 2020, compared with just 11 per cent in the year before the pandemic began.

Forty-two per cent of respondents were concerned about the return of high traffic volumes, while 26 per cent were concerned that their parking skills would not be up to scratch.

John French, head of product at Seat UK, said: “For much of the past 14 months, millions of motorists across the UK have been confined to their local area, driving on roads they’re acquainted with.

“Now, following the lifting of most social distancing restrictions, drivers are once again navigating unfamiliar places and faced with high volumes of traffic, tight parking spaces and certain road types they’ve perhaps become unaccustomed to.”

Drivers in London appear to have been impacted the most by lockdowns, with 44 per cent saying they are more nervous about driving.

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