We’d all like to think we’re pretty solid drivers, right?
Even though driving is a skill that often gets fine-tuned over a lifetime, most motorists you ask would likely say they consider themselves to be competent enough behind the wheel, even if regular passengers in their vehicle might say otherwise – but where exactly do the UK’s most ‘confident’ drivers call home?
In a bid to get to the bottom of this, the car insurance team at Compare the Market has carried out a new survey to find where those who are most at-ease on the roads live.
More than 2,000 UK motorists took part in survey, which was carried out last October.
Manchester drivers have been named some of the ‘most confident’ in the UK / Credit: Ryan Porter (via Unsplash) | MCC
Not only does the survey reveal where in the country is home to the most ‘confident’ motorists, but it’s also highlighted which scenarios and car maintenance tasks drivers feel the most and least comfortable with.
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Manchester motorists have found themselves sitting pretty in the top 10 ‘most confident’ list, claiming the pretty-impressive fourth position – with 84% reckoning their driving skills are decent.
Potentially surprisingly, Manchester is the only North West city to feature in the top 10, with other major cities on the list including Norwich, Glasgow, Belfast, and the English capital of London, but the top five spots are taken up by Cardiff and Plymouth in joint second, and Edinburgh and Bristol in joint third.
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Which UK cities are home to the most ‘confident’ drivers?
Rank
City
Percentage of ‘confident’ drivers
1
Southampton
88%
=2
Cardiff
87%
=2
Plymouth
87%
=3
Edinburgh
85%
=3
Bristol
85%
4
Manchester
84%
=5
London
83%
=5
Glasgow
83%
=5
Belfast
83%
=5
Norwich
83%
So, which city has the ‘most confident’ drivers then? Well, that title is being taken by Southampton.
The study has revealed that Southampton has the highest proportion of confident drivers, with 88% of motorists in the city describing themselves as such.
Interestingly, the survey also revealed the type of car can influence confidence too, as those who drive a petrol car were found to be the most comfortable on the roads, with 84% suggesting this to be the case, while those who drive an electric car are almost 10% less confident behind the wheel.
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When it comes to the conditions in which drivers weren’t the biggest fans of, winter weather was the top culprit – with one in three UK drivers saying they aren’t confident driving in ice (35%) or snow (31%)
Two-fifths (38%) of British drivers were found to be uncomfortable changing a tyre.
Some of the car maintenance tasks drivers feel the least comfortable with are driving abroad, driving in the fog, and driving after being involved in an accident.
Drinks prices revealed as Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub opens inside T2
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Manchester Airport’s first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub has officially opened its doors inside Terminal 2.
The 300-seater pub – which welcomed its first customers earlier this week – is named The Belle Vue after Manchester’s historic showground.
Throughout the pub, you’ll spot design features that nod to the city’s sporting heritage – including vintage event posters and memorabilia, a ‘locker wall’ hosting trophies and other sporting exhibits, and a cricket-themed design in the carpets and bar panels.
Creating around 150 jobs in the process, The Belle Vue is the final planned new eatery to open in the airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2, marking one of the final steps in the super-terminal’s decade-long, £1.5bn transformation.
Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub has opened inside Terminal 2 / Credit: Supplied
According to the MEN, pints are priced from £6.20 for Carling and Coors lager, £6.45 for Budweiser, £6.60 for Guinness, and £6.70 for Poretti and 1664 Biere.
Prosecco is £9.20 for 175ml glass and £37.10 for the full bottle, while spirts and mixers are £6.80 for singles and £10.20 for doubles.
There’s also the classic Wetherspoons tea and coffee machines, where you can refill as many times as you like for just £3.60.
“It’s a proud moment to see the final new retail unit opening in our new-look Terminal 2,” commented Richard Jackson, who is the Retail Director at Manchester Airport.
“To be rounding off this 10-year programme by adding such an iconic name as Wetherspoon to the terminal is particularly special and we know that it will prove extremely popular with passengers. We think they’ll love the nods to Manchester’s heritage in the décor and design – and of course the name.”
The Belle Vue will be open from the first flight to the final flight each day, and food will be served from opening until 10pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Emily Sergeant -
13th March 2024 
