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.
The UK’s top 10 biggest Christmas ‘icks’ have been revealed
Emily Sergeant
The UK’s top 10 biggest Christmas ‘icks’ have been revealed, according to the results from a hilarious new survey.
Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also have its fair share of icks.
From tinsel on the tree, to cheesy Christmas jumpers, and everything in between, there are plenty of Christmas traditions that we simply love, and some we love to hate – and now, new research conducted by online retailer Haypp ahead of the festive season has revealed exactly what it is that Brits find the ickiest.
The research reveals that the number one ick is a controversial one – putting ketchup on a Christmas dinner, as nearly a third of respondents (32%) claim it makes them feel grim and that they’d judge someone for it.
Wearing Christmas jumpers is one of the UK’s biggest Christmas ‘icks’ Credit: Julia Larson (via Pexels)
It may cause controversy in a few households nationwide, the second biggest ‘ick’ is adults in matching festive pyjamas, with just under a third of Brits cringing, while some of the other similar traditions to this on the list being family photo Christmas cards, and wearing Christmas jumpers in public.
Elsewhere on the list, it was revealed that 27% of Brits find it unbearable to talk about politics over dinner, and lots of us don’t like it when others watch us open presents.
Around 18% also can’t stand it when people argue over festive games.
The UK’s top 10 Christmas ‘icks’
Having tomato ketchup on your Christmas dinner – 32%
Adults in matching pyjamas – 29.2%
Talking politics during dinner – 27.9%
Undoing your trousers at the dinner table – 24.4%
Leaving the dinner table to smoke – 23.2%
Everyone watching you open your presents – 20.4%
Being hungover on Christmas Day – 19.5%
Arguing over a game – 18.1%
Family photo Christmas cards – 15.2%
Wearing Christmas jumpers – 13.2%
Bad habits at the dinner table also feature heavily on the list, as a quarter of Brits hate it when people undo their trousers after the Christmas meal, and just over a fifth find it rude when someone leaves the table to go and smoke.
What’s your take then? How many of these ‘icks’ do you agree with? Are there any others you feel need adding to the list?
Featured Image – Karolina Grabowska (via Pexels)
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Lola Young shares first public statement since cancellations and stepping away from the spotlight
Danny Jones
UK pop star Lola Young has shared her first public statement since cancelling the remainder of her tour and stepping away from the spotlight.
Lola Young, 24, took a break from her still-burgeoning career after numerous concerning incidents on stage, including throwing up and even passing out in the middle of a performance.
The BRIT School graduate announced the unfortunate cancellation of her upcoming shows “for the foreseeable future”, including a gig here in Manchester, at the end of September.
Breaking her silence after the best part of three months, the London-born singer-songwriter took to social media in a fairly brief but heartwarming statement.
As you can see, the time away from the public eye certainly seems to have been beneficial, telling her followers that “it has helped more than you will ever know”.
In addition to embracing ADHD – even labelling her hit song ‘Messy’ as an “ADHD anthem” in multiple anthems – she was also diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at just 17.
The latter can include symptoms such as psychosis, hallucinations, intense mood swings, bipolar mania, depression and more.
All that being said, we’re glad to hear that she’s on the mend; we saw her back in March, and you could tell from the crowd that she’s already got a very passionate cult following.
Both conditions and their associated obstacles have obviously affected her, but have equally helped influence her music and lyrical material, certainly, too.
Responding in the comments, fellow artist SZA wrote: “Love you, starfire angel. Your music is FULL of longevity and substance! We’re so grateful for you”.
Joining in support, ‘dark pop’ musician Carter James added, “Your wellbeing comes before anything. So excited for your next chapter whenever it arrives!”
We hope she’ll be doing better enough soon to get back on stage when she’s ready.
Emily Sergeant -
13th March 2024 
