New research has revealed what motorists have been missing about their cars the most, as well as some bizarre effects of cutting back on driving.
The freedom of the open road (20%), cruising the countryside (25%) and singing along to the car radio (23%) are the top three driving pleasures Brits have missed during lockdown, according to the survey for breakdown cover provider, Green Flag.
It’s also evident that many drivers didn’t know what they had until it was gone. Three in five who drive (59%) now miss the freedom of being able to go anywhere they choose.
Whilst traffic topped the list of things motorists missed most about driving that they’d previously found annoying (25%), there were also some other startling revelations. One in eight drivers (13%) have missed wiping birds’ mess off the windscreen, whilst over a tenth (10%) missed queuing at the petrol pump.
Motorists have not developed nostalgia for all common annoyances, however – a quarter (26%) said they’re not looking forward to being stuck behind slow-drivers, whilst well over a third (38%) said they’re dreading having to deal with rude drivers again.
What have you missed the most about not being able to drive during lockdown?
- The freedom of the open road
- Cruising along country roads
- Singing along to the radio
- The privacy and alone time
- Being in control
- Going for a drive to clear your head
- Sitting in your driver’s seat
- Driving in the sun with all the windows down
- Winding the window down to feel the wind in your hair
- The grip of the steering wheel
