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Bad days at work causing accidents and motoring offences on UK roads

Bad days at work causing accidents and motoring offences on UK roads
  • 51% of UK drivers believe their emotions don’t affect their ability to drive
  • 13.71 million drivers will drive home after a bad day at work
  • 4.52 million UK drivers have committed a motoring offence as a result of their emotions
  • 3.23 million accidents or near misses are caused by emotions, with nearly a third (31%) due to anger
  • 53% say stress affects their driving ability the most – so why are we still choosing to drive home after a tough day at work?

You’re having a bad day at work. Everything’s going wrong: your manager has snapped at you and you just can’t wait to get home. But this could increase your chances of an accident, according to research conducted by motoring experts Confused.com. 

13.71 million motorists admit to driving home after a bad day at work, with some experiencing feelings of anger, stress and exhaustion. And, while over half of drivers (51%) believe their emotional state doesn’t impact on their ability to drive, 4.52 million drivers still admit to committing a motoring offence as a result of their emotions. 

Over half (52%) of Brits admit to speeding over the legal limit due to feeling angry. Meanwhile, almost a third (32%) of drivers admit to speeding while feeling exhausted in order to get home faster. A further 3.23 million drivers have had an accident or near miss as a result of their emotions. 

Anger has caused the highest amount of near misses or accidents of any emotion – 992,0004 drivers have either crashed or had a near miss as a result of anger, according to the Confused.com research. What’s more, nearly a third (31%) of accidents and near misses in the UK that are caused by an emotion are due to anger, whereas one in six (17%) are caused by exhaustion. 

Confused.com has partnered with TV behavioural psychologist Jo Hemmings to explore the way in which driving under the influence of emotions impacts our mind, body and actions, and therefore our ability to drive safely. 

Hemmings says: “Physically, a driver’s heart rate will accelerate from a standard 70bpm to a whopping 180bpm when feeling angry. Blood pressure will rise and muscles will tense, especially in the neck and shoulders. A driver’s attention narrows as they focus on the events of their bad day. Adrenaline and noradrenaline are also released, triggering arousal, and the driver is likely to focus mentally on the cause of their anger – those who made them angry, meaning we lose the ability to monitor our full surroundings.” 

The research found that 62% of motorists are unhappy morning drivers. This could affect the morning commute to work, especially if unhappy drivers are running late. Almost two-fifths (39%) of morning commuters admit to driving to work while being late, and one in five (20%) said the fear of redundancy affected their driving concentration. 

According to the survey, those that work in the law enforcement and security industry, such as policemen/women and security guards, experience the highest levels of stress at work. Because of this, this puts them at a higher risk of an accident if they struggle to switch off when behind the wheel. Those that work within the environment or agricultural industry are the least stressed, according to Confused.com’s research, and are therefore least likely to take their feelings of stress onto UK roads and have an accident. 

All drivers are urged to take their feelings seriously, especially if they are working late. Over a third (35%) of drivers admitted to driving while exhausted and, because of this, they are strictly advised not to drive at all in this state. Not only is cognitive function seriously impaired but reaction times are likely to be slower, unpredictability is an issue and of course falling asleep at the wheel more likely. 

We can see that almost every significant emotion has an impact on our driving ability, including the positive ones. 

The effects of anger, stress and exhaustion on your driving capabilities can be explored using our interactive emoji guide here. You can also explore other emotions, including worry, sadness, excitement and happiness.  

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, says: “After a bad day at work, getting in your car and heading home can sometimes feel like a relief. However, our study shows that our emotions are not always left in the workplace. The actions that caused us to get angry are likely to play on our mind throughout the journey home. This this can have a serious impact on our ability to drive safely. It’s important to be aware of how your feelings can affect your driving and what you must do to minimise the risk of an accident. Drivers who are involved in road accidents will need to notify their insurer, which could result in increased premiums.”

Answer a few questions here and discover how your emotions can impact your driving skills.

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