Half of recently passed older drivers admit nerves are holding them back from feeling road confident

• Martine McCutcheon, who has suffered from driving nerves later in life, particularly after becoming a parent, offers advice to new older drivers (30yrs +) to support Churchill’s ‘Keep Calm and Drive On’ campaign, to inspire them to find their inner calm this summer
• Over a third (35 per cent) of new older drivers were nervous being in the car on their own after passing
• 57 per cent avoid tricky manoeuvres due to nerves whilst 47 per cent choose to only drive during the day
• More than half (57 per cent) say that worrying about moving into the wrong lane makes driving more stressful

Half (50 per cent) of people who pass their test over the age of 30 feel nervous when driving after passing, reveals new research from Churchill¹. The research highlights that people who learn to drive later in life tend to feel the pressure even more than younger drivers (37 per cent)². With more than 130,000 people passing their test aged 30 or older every year³, it is estimated that there are tens of thousands of older drivers struggling with their nerves during the summer months.

Despite many older drivers enjoying a newfound sense of freedom after they have passed their test, more than a third (36 per cent) would prefer more practice to help build confidence before going out on the roads alone. This lack of confidence is stopping new older drivers from being able to enjoy driving, with 30 per cent worrying about damaging their cars.

Many have adopted coping mechanisms to help, with 57 per cent avoiding difficult manoeuvres like hill starts or parallel parking due to their nerves when they first pass. Nearly half (47 per cent) of those surveyed admitted to only driving during the daytime initially, something that will be severely limiting in the winter months.

Table One: Top five things new older drivers (30+) do to cope with nerves:

Many older drivers chose to learn to drive because of growing family needs or work demands, with a third (32 per cent) saying they decided to start driving because of wanting to drive on trips, easily visit family (24 per cent) or for access to work (21 per cent).

Feeling nervous when driving isn’t something new for Actress Martine McCutcheon either. As a confident driver of almost 30 years, she learned to drive to get to the Eastenders set each day and was offering people lifts everywhere after she first passed. But even Martine struggles with nerves sometimes, whether that’s navigating busy roundabouts or dealing with the added responsibility of driving with her son.

Martine McCutcheon said:

“Being older doesn’t always make things easier. Driving can be stressful as it is, and key life events can exacerbate those stresses. Although I passed my driving test in my late teens, after I had my son I definitely felt a lot more nervous when driving. Because of this, I’ve had to develop new coping techniques to keep myself calm that I still use today.

“There’s never any harm in pulling over somewhere safe to take a minute. I will also always take things at my own pace – it can be daunting when it feels like other drivers are getting impatient, but it’s so much more important to feel confident and safe.”

New older drivers also admit that worrying about the potential mistakes they could make when driving after passing makes the whole process more stressful. More than half (57 per cent) are concerned about moving into the wrong lane, whilst 56 per cent worry about publicly stalling their car.

Table Two: Top five mistakes that new older drivers are most concerned about making:

Nicholas Mantel, Churchill Insurance motor lead said:

“We often forget that there’s a large proportion of people who, for lots of different reasons, don’t get round to learning to drive until later in life, and it’s easy to think that with age comes confidence. Often, a calming passenger or even rolling the window down for some fresh air can alleviate nerves. Our Keep Calm and Drive On campaign aims to help older drivers know that they are not alone and provides advice to help them find ways to chill so their confidence grows and they enjoy the benefits that come with driving.”

To find out more about how to keep calm on the roads as a new driver and see Martine take the passenger seat next to some of UK’s most nervous new drivers, head to https://www.youtube.com/c/churchill.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

(1)    The research was carried out by Opinium, between 21st and 25th July 2023, with a sample of 258 drivers who passed their driving test aged over 30 years old.

(2)    A separate sample of 2,000 UK adults weighted to be nationally representative was carried out by Opinium between 21^st and 25^th July.

(3)    Data on the number and age of people passing their driving test each year can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/driving-test-statistics-drt. The average number of people passing over the age of 30 each year has been calculated using the lasty five years of data and taking the average. 

For further information please contact:

Hayley Saunders

Churchill PR Manager

Email: hayley.saunders@directlinegroup.co.uk