Motorists struggle as they return to driving after lockdown

Drivers have travelled nearly 500 miles fewer per month during lockdown

Related video: Health psychologist Susan Michie says government is giving the public ‘mixed messages’ on coronavirus lockdown (Getty)

One-fifth of motorists have struggled with driving again after being off the road during lockdown.

The average UK car is driven more than 7,000 miles per year, or 583 miles per month, according to MOT data.

But a survey of 2,000 motorists revealed that over the past 28 days the average driver has covered just 90 miles — with 30 per cent driving 25 miles or fewer.

With so little driving, 18 per cent said they had struggled to get back to normal behind the wheel of a car.

Of those who had found it difficult to adjust to being back on the road, 28 per cent had stalled their car, 21 per cent had scraped their wheels on the kerb and more than one in five have forgotten to indicate.

Four in 10 motorists said they had not visited a filling station over the past 28 days, with 12 per cent admitting that they had forgotten which side or end they fill up or charge their car.

The survey, carried out by Hyundai, also found almost half of motorists were concerned that the standard of driving would be worse as restrictions are lifted.

More than four in 10 thought road users had been driving faster during lockdown, with just 10 per cent believing they had been driving more slowly.

The survey follows numerous cases where police forces across the UK have spoken out about bad driving during lockdown.

However, one-third of the drivers surveyed said they have been driving more cautiously since the start of the pandemic.

Hyundai conducted the research as it launched a new electric car model featuring ‘Smartsense’ — which is made up of numerous pieces of intelligent technology designed to protect occupants as well as people outside of the vehicle.

It ties in with research by the manufacturer which revealed that since the start of lockdown, 18 per cent of people have had a near-miss with a cyclist as either a driver or pedestrian.

More than four in 10 of those surveyed by OnePoll for Hyundai admitted they were concerned about the prospect of an increase of cyclists on the road.

SWNS