Driving can be a stressful experience and a recent survey carried out by Nissan looked into the driving behaviours of UK motorists. The research revealed a number of interesting factors, which included many British people feeling anxious when driving on the motorway. Nissan conducted the survey to highlight ProPILOT, the company’s advanced driving assistance technology.
The poll compiled the responses of 2000 drivers. Over half of the drivers said they felt nervous when caught between cars and lorries on the motorway, while 43% showed a dislike for overtaking large vehicles. 39% of motorists felt scared or nervous behind the wheel in general.
27% of drivers admitted to feeling nervous about parking, while 21% said they lacked confidence in motorway driving. 47% admitted to having taken a smaller road to avoid a busier route. One in 20 people were so nervous they confessed to taking a detour of up to 26 miles.
Almost one in two drivers believed driving assistance technology could make them feel more confident. This included automatic emergency braking, intelligent cruise control and lane departure warnings.
Alex Smith, managing director of Nissan Motors, said “it’s concerning that many drivers feel they lack confidence in the everyday aspects of multi-lane driving.”
Nissan’s ProPILOT certainly falls into the category of driving assistance technology. It maintains vehicle-to-vehicle distance within a preset speed range and keeps the car in the middle of a lane. Other features include automatic speed control, steering control and system configuration. ProPILOT contains a camera that recognises lane markers and oncoming vehicles in a three-dimensional picture, allowing for evasive action.
The survey sheds important light on the current state of the British car industry.
