The Most Stressful UK Cities to Drive in

London is crowned the most frustrating city to drive in, with 62% of UK drivers admitting they find it confusing.

One-sixth (14%) of motorists say driving through a city centre is the most common cause of their road rage.

City driving can be very stressful. In fact, new research from the car insurance team at Compare the Market has revealed that almost one in six (14%) motorists say driving in a city centre is the scenario most likely to cause them road rage. Alongside the common causes of driver frustrations, the research has revealed which cities across the UK are the most stressful or confusing to drive in. 

Compare the Market has conducted research to determine which locations motorists find the most stressful - as well as the most confusing, and the reasons why. They also looked at the congestion levels, road quality, and number of accidents in each city, to determine the top 10 most stressful and confusing cities for motorists across the country.

The full research can be found here.

London is crowned the most frustrating city to drive in, with 62% of UK drivers admitting they find it confusing to drive in the capital

With a population of nearly 9 million people, it’s no surprise London has topped the list as the most stressful and confusing city to drive in. 

Almost two-thirds (63%) of drivers admit to finding it confusing to navigate their way around the city by car. The number one reason for this being that motorists think there is too much traffic in the city, with 45% of drivers stating this to be the case. Almost half (45%) of motorists also find it stressful to drive in London, and again the main reason is because there is too much congestion (43%). 

Given that the city saw 19 billion miles of traffic last year, the highest number of all cities analysed, this is perhaps not surprising. Interestingly, the main reason those aged between 17 and 24 find the city stressful to navigate is because it has too many cyclists (29%). 

Birmingham has ranked as the second most stressful and confusing city for motorists, with more than half of drivers (51%) saying it’s confusing to drive in the city. As with London, the main reason for this is because of the traffic, with 24% of drivers admitting this is to be the case. One-third (29%) of drivers also find the West Midlands city stressful to drive in, and the main reason for this is also due to the congestion (30%). 

In third place is Bristol, with 41% of drivers saying they find it confusing to drive here. However, significantly less motorists say they find it stressful, with just 18% stating this to be the case. Not knowing the roads well enough (24%) is the main reason that drivers find it confusing to drive in the city, and a quarter (25%) of drivers also cite this as the reason they find it stressful. The city also has the poorest road quality of all locations analysed, with 79% of its roads deemed to be either red or amber, which is a marker that they should be considered for maintenance. 

Rounding off the top five most confusing and stressful cities are Leeds and Manchester. 

Almost one in six (14%) of motorists say driving through a city centre is the most common cause of their road rage

With almost two in three (62%) drivers having experienced road rage before, the survey has delved a little deeper into the most common sources of driver frustrations. 

Being tailgated, and a driver cutting someone off and forcing them to change course are the main sources of road rage of one-third (33%) of drivers. This is followed by: other motorists not indicating on a roundabout (23%), traffic jams (19%), and motorists forgetting to turn off high beams when driving at night (18%). Driving through a city centre also results in road rage in one in six motorists (14%).

Julie Daniels at Compare the Market comments: “As our research has shown, there are a variety of reasons behind why people find driving in a city challenging. However, there are a few simple steps drivers can take to make city driving as stress-free as possible. 

“Before you head off on your journey, the best thing you can do is thoroughly plan your trip. If you don’t know the roads very well, using a navigation app can be helpful and some can even inform you of possible congestions or roadworks which may impact your journey.

“Driving in a city often means added distractions, so keep your eyes on the road and you’re aware of what’s around you, especially when it comes to pedestrians, cyclists and other obstructions such as parked cars.”