Ahead of Road Safety Week (21-27 November), new research from Swedish bank, Ikano Bank, has found that motorists in Edinburgh feel unsafe on the roads with almost a third of drivers (32 per cent) regularly feeling unsafe when driving.
Ikano Bank, which offers UK motorists some of the most competitive car loan rates in the UK, commissioned the Europe-wide survey to look into driver’s attitudes on the roads across different cities, raise road safety awareness and encourage stress free motoring.
With its low cost personal loan rates, the Swedish bank also aims to help make driving in the UK a little simpler and hassle-free where possible.
Research revealed that more than three quarters (77 per cent) of Edinburgh drivers feel their safety is at risk from other drivers’ actions, such as swerving, not indicating and driving too close.
The weather was also a major factor in determining how safe Edinburgh drivers feel on the roads. Almost three quarters thirds (71 per cent) of drivers feel unsafe driving in snow or icy conditions, while almost half (47 per cent) feel unsafe when driving in heavy rain.
The survey found that Edinburgh opinions on road safety is higher than the UK national average with almost a third (30 per cent) of UK drivers saying they feel unsafe on the roads and two thirds (66 per cent) saying they feel unsafe as a result of other drivers’ actions.
Research also revealed that drivers in Dundee and Sheffield feel the least unsafe on the roads, with nearly three in 10 expressing safety concerns when driving (28%).
When speaking to drivers across Europe, the survey found that Swedish drivers feel the safest on their roads with only a fifth of drivers confessing to feeling unsafe (21 per cent), whilst Spanish (52 per cent) and French (52 per cent) drivers feel the least safe.
Simon Ripton, Head of Consumer Banking at Ikano Bank, said: “The actions of other drivers are definitely a concern for motorists in Edinburgh and residents could look towards the Swedish way of driving to improve their road confidence.
“Sweden’s innovative approach to road design and driver education could explain why its motorists feel safer when they get behind the wheel.
“Ahead of Road Safety Week, with our Swedish heritage, we want to make motoring in the UK as stress free, and as safe as possible. That’s why, as part of our ‘Drive Like a Swede’ campaign, we gave away 100 advanced driver courses to encourage everyone to think about their approach to driving.”
Road Safety Week is the UK’s biggest road safety event and is designed to raise awareness about road safety and promote steps that everyone can take to stop deaths and injuries on our streets.
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