Almost one in five UK drivers stressed on every journey, Alphabet GB survey finds
Alphabet GB's study found 42% of motorists find driving stressful at least once a week. The figure rises to 48% among delivery workers and 45% in logistics, and one in ten respondents cited employer pressure to meet tight schedules.
Almost one in five UK motorists experience stress every time they drive, according to a study by Alphabet GB reported by Van Fleet World. More than four in ten respondents (42%) said they find driving stressful at least once a week, while only 6% said they never do.
The report does not give the survey's sample size, fieldwork dates or methodology, so the figures are best read as Alphabet's own survey results.
Heavy traffic and congestion were the most commonly cited trigger (33%), followed by poor road conditions (22%). Aggressive or inconsiderate road behaviour stressed 15% of drivers, and 10% said they felt anxiety from employer pressure to meet tight schedules and deadlines.
By sector, workers in manufacturing (50%), delivery services (48%) and logistics (45%) were the most likely to report feeling stressed behind the wheel at least once a week.
Weekly driving stress was reported by 48% of women and 40% of men, and by 52% of 18 to 24-year-olds. Regionally, the East Midlands (55%) and the North West (54%) had the highest share of respondents finding driving stressful at least weekly. Wales (23%) and Northern Ireland (17%) had the lowest, which the report attributes to lower traffic volumes.
Alphabet, which says it supplied more than 57,000 new company cars and commercial vehicles to UK businesses in 2025, said the figures show everyday road stress has reached an unsustainably high level. It has called on the Government to prioritise investment in the right public transport infrastructure.
Nick Bartley, head of customer development at Alphabet GB, said: "Driving is a responsibility that can too easily be taken for granted. Many of us hop into a car or van without giving a second thought to the task at hand. For some, a greater degree of planning and preparation can help to alleviate some of the road-based strain."
The findings follow a separate Alphabet study published in August, which found that 46% of business drivers surveyed had had their vehicle off the road in the past year because of pothole or other road damage.
Sources
Van Fleet WorldHow THRIVE sources and checks its stories · Corrections, and how to report an error
Select Car Leasing trials fully self-service online lease ordering on Polestar 2
Alphabet GB appoints Natalie Manson as regional development manager (south)
MAN Truck & Bus nine-month revenue rises 4% to €10.3bn as order intake climbs 8%
The Tuesday briefing
The week's fleet numbers and news, every Tuesday morning. Free.
One email a week. Unsubscribe in a click.
Named in this story? You have a right of reply: email hello@thrivefleet.co.uk and a challenged claim will be marked under review while we check it.
Got a story, or a question about this one? Contact the newsroom. We read everything that comes in. With the volume of fleet news, not everything can run, but a story with a number, a date or a decision in it stands a good chance.