Nearly half of all British drivers have potentially picked up ‘dangerous’ driving habits over the course of national lockdowns…

Dangerous Driving Habits 

For millions of drivers, national lockdowns represent the longest periods of time in which they haven’t gotten behind the wheel. It should be little surprise, then, that many of us have gotten lax when it comes to road safety. A new survey of 1,500 drivers, conducted Nextbase, discovered that 44% of motorists are willing to admit that they’ve developed habits that are unsafe. One in five (22%) say that they now frequently drive with one hand. Some 15% admitted to driving too quickly and 12% feel that they’re more easily distracted since the first lockdown.

More alarmingly, 14% say they’ve ‘completely forgotten how to drive their car’. A shocking 10% said they can’t remember a single detail from their driving theory test. A further 44% are now concerned about going on long journeys, and 29% are particularly concerned about driving on motorways.

An Inevitable Result 

Tony Greenidge, CEO of IAM RoadSmart, said that the effect of lockdowns on driving abilities was ‘inevitable’. He said, “it was inevitable that lockdown would leave many drivers and riders with confidence issues, stress and rusty skills due to their enforced break from the roads. With any skill you learn, you need to improve and refresh it to remain top of your game. Driving and riding is no different”. 

Given the rampant gaps in knowledge that have emerged, fleet decision-makers have much to consider. Duty of care is always a crucial element in managing corporate vehicles, but it’s now more important than ever. Drivers need to be effectively monitored and, if necessary, trained to ensure adequate competence. Equally, it’s important to stress that the road conditions they’ll be facing, likely as a result of other drivers, will now be more challenging and demanding. 

More Than Half Of British Drivers May Be At Risk Of £1,000 Fine – https://autoservefleet.co.uk/latest-news/drivers-urged-to-use-home-charge-point-grant-before-it-s-scrapped/

Range-Anxiety Keeping You From Buying An EV? It Shouldn’t – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/range-anxiety-keep-you-from-buying-an-ev-it-shouldnt/

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