Worst UK Cities to Live in if You’re a Nervous Driver

Driving is an ideal mode of transport and offers us the freedom to travel when and where we want. However, more Brits than ever before are struggling from a lack of confidence when it comes to driving, with Google searches for ‘why am I scared of driving?’ surging by 100% in the past month alone. 

With a third of motorists admitting they feel anxious when behind the wheel, according to Aviva, we’ve analysed data including traffic, Google search data, weather and casualties, to reveal the UK cities to avoid if you are a nervous driver and the best places to drive if you’re struggling with confidence. 

To make any car journey even easier, we’ve also created the ultimate playlist that is proven to help limit the effects of stress and ease driving nerves - The Road to Inner Calm. Featuring songs with a BPM between 60-80, the most calming tempo of music, the playlist is on hand to help drivers who need to relax while in the driving seat, allowing them to remain calm, confident and alert. 

Whether it’s city driving, range anxiety or motorways, driving can be unnerving for many reasons.

Our data has revealed which city or town is home to the most nervous drivers in the UK, by analysing Google search volumes of the most commonly asked driving questions: 

• How to overcome the fear of driving?
• How to avoid roundabouts?
• How to avoid bus lanes?
• Where to park?
• Where is the nearest petrol station?
• Where is the nearest electric charging port?

Liverpool is officially home to the most nervous drivers in the UK, with an overall score of 83.6%. In Liverpool, 250 Google searches are made every month for ‘how to overcome the fear of driving’. With busy motorways and roads in and out of the city centre, as well as rush hour traffic, it seems that Liverpool drivers are dealing with nerves when navigating their way through the city. According to Inrix, 4-5pm on a Wednesday is the worst time to drive in Liverpool, so it’s best to avoid rush hour when driving in the city. 

Oldham is home to the second most nervous drivers, with an overall score of 80.68%. There are 200 monthly searches for ‘how to overcome the fear of driving’ in the area, which is no surprise as Oldham has seen a 41% increase in traffic over the last 10 years. There are also 750 monthly searches for ‘where to park’ - whilst this is to be expected on the outskirts of a city, Oldham is facing an increased issue with pavement parking, and for nervous drivers finding somewhere to park, limited space is bound to induce stress. 

Plymouth takes third place, with an overall score of 80.17%, with 210 monthly Google searches for ‘how to avoid roundabouts’. Plymouth drivers don’t have it easy when it comes to navigating the roads as the city voted the Marsh Mills roundabout as the worst roundabout to drive on. 

Interestingly, the North of England is home to the most confident drivers in the UK, with Gateshead taking pole position. With an overall score of 0.8%, only 60 people in Gateshead are searching for ‘how to overcome the fear of driving’ every month. Gateshead is a suburban area outside of Newcastle Upon Tyne, so drivers are less likely to experience high volumes of traffic, with traffic volumes only increasing by 2.4% in Gateshead over the last nine years. 

Wigan ranked second with an overall score of 1.32%, having a low volume of Google searches for common driving concerns. The area is also made up of suburban neighbourhoods and rural villages, so drivers are less likely to experience anxiety-inducing situations such as bad traffic or congested roads. 

The town of Rotherham in South Yorkshire takes third place, with search data showing that very low numbers of people are turning to Google for driving concerns. In Rotherham, the average driving test pass rate is 57%, compared to the national pass rate of just 55%. 

When looking to buy a house or relocate in the UK, many people will want to move somewhere that is easily accessible, doesn’t have too much traffic and has plenty of amenities on the doorstep. 

For nervous drivers, the house search might also extend to other factors, including local weather conditions and ensuring an area has plenty of petrol stations. 

With this in mind, we’ve uncovered the best and worst places for nervous drivers to live in the UK, based on several factors: 

• Traffic volumes
• Increase in traffic over the last nine years
• Number of local petrol stations
• Weather conditions
• Speeding convictions
• Number of public toilets 

Glasgow takes the top spot for the worst city to live for a nervous driver, with a score of 73.11%. The city has seen a whopping 30.8% increase in traffic in the last nine years, has an average of 11.6 rainy days per month and is home to over 100 speed cameras. 

Wakefield ranks in second for the worst place for nervous drivers to live, with an overall score of 72.42%. The Yorkshire city has seen a 35% increase in traffic in the past year and with a vast combination of country lanes and national speed roads, navigating Wakefield is not easy for anxious drivers. 

Cardiff scores 72.43%, coming in third place. Being the capital of Wales means Cardiff sees a high volume of traffic every year with many people visiting the city. With an average of 9.6 rainy days each month and a traffic increase of 25.77% in nine years, it can be a daunting place for nervous drivers to venture through.

Revealed as the best city for nervous drivers to live in, Newcastle Upon Tyne has seen just a 0.76% increase in traffic over the past nine years. And with 164 petrol stations in a 10-mile radius and 137 public toilets in the city, drivers in Newcastle are less likely to be caught out by a lack of fuel or needing the toilet when on long journeys, which can be a huge relief for nervous drivers. 

Southampton is the second-best city to live in for nervous drivers, with an overall score of 25.85% and just a 5.79% increase in traffic in the last nine years. Speeding convictions in Southampton and the surrounding area are also one of the lowest in the UK, with 2,930 convictions in 2022 (compared to parts of Yorkshire with 15,849 speeding convictions). 

With an overall score of 28.09%, Wolverhampton ranks third for the best city to live for anxious drivers. You are never more than 10 minutes from the countryside in Wolverhampton so the traffic won’t be a problem for many drivers in Wolverhampton. Speeding convictions have also seen a 17% decrease in the surrounding area so nervous drivers don’t need to worry as much about other speeding drivers when driving in the city.

In the last nine years, the number of cars on the road has soared. However, some UK locations have seen a dramatic increase in traffic - particularly Stirling, which has seen a 141.72% increase. 

Doncaster comes in second place (49.29% increase), then Oldham (40.79% increase), Wrexham (40.22% increase) and Durham (39.72% increase). 

Regardless of where you live, having a fear of driving can be daunting for anyone and can impact even the smallest of journeys. Keith Hawes, Director at Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, has revealed five simple steps you can take to ease driving nerves this year. 

If you’re nervous, having a confident driver in the passenger seat can help ease your discomfort whilst driving. They may help calmly direct you to your destination, or simply offer encouragement whilst navigating traffic, roundabouts or parking. 

Even if you have passed your driving test, taking advanced lessons with an instructor can help you overcome your fear of driving. Advanced lessons can vary from motorway lessons to simply navigating roads. Talking to an instructor about some of your worries will make you feel better and they can offer advice on ways to ease that worry. 

If you do have a fear of driving, you may find that driving during rush hour or even in difficult weather conditions can induce worry. So it’s best to avoid driving during these times, if you work then finding alternative public transport routes can help. But driving in less busy times will mean you have fewer issues to worry about and you will have a peaceful experience. 

For anyone with driving anxiety, you should avoid driving on an empty stomach or relying on caffeine. Small things like this can increase your driving fear massively, so before driving ensure you’ve eaten and avoided caffeine to avoid your body feeling anxious before you’ve driven. 

Not all driving fears can be fixed simply, so seeking therapy or help from a professional can help you identify the cause of your driving anxiety and provide you with techniques to help you become a confident driver.

Whether you’ve just passed your driving test and are looking for the best car leasing deals, or you’ve been driving for years and are still struggling with confidence, everyone deserves to feel comfortable and at ease when behind the wheel. Don’t forget to give The Road to Inner Calm playlist a listen on Spotify when driving to help ease any worries this year!

To determine the best and worst places in the UK for nervous drivers, we analysed the most-searched-for driving questions and then used the below factors to give each UK city an overall percentage score:

• Traffic in each city
• Rainy days/ precipitation (cm)
• Average number of casualties per city
• Number of petrol stations within 10 miles
• Local public toilets
• Speeding offences in Scotland
• Speeding offences in the UK