Car Crime Sparks Fear on Britain’s Roads

British drivers no longer feel safe on the roads, according to a new survey by car hire comparison site Carrentals.co.uk, which found that over 40 per cent of drivers have been a victim of car crime. The research questioned over 1,000 people across the UK and found that more than one in five of us don’t feel safe on Britain’s roads, with nearly 50 per cent believing that drivers are getting more aggressive and one in three believing people drive too fast.

Respondents told of incidents ranging from car jacking and physical violence, to verbal abuse and even a report of rape, underlining the growing issue of car crime on the roads.

Gareth Robinson, managing director of Carrentals.co.uk, said: “The findings of the survey are staggering, and show just how concerned many people are about their safety on the roads. The fact that 40 per cent of respondents said they had been a victim of car crime, shows the extent of the problem, and we feel more needs to be done to educate drivers on what to do if they find themselves in trouble on the roads.”

The survey shows that more men than women have been victims of car crime – 48 per cent of men compared to 33 per cent of women, with the most affected age group those aged 31 and above. Yorkshire had the highest number of car crime victims with over 52 per cent of respondents experiencing some form of attack, while the South West is the safest region at 32 per cent. The most common incidents were of cars being damaged on purpose or stolen.

When it comes to getting help on the roads, just 34 per cent of respondents said they thought other drivers would stop to assist them if they were in trouble on the road.

This highlights the personal safety concerns of many motorists, with one in three female respondents saying they would not trust another driver’s motives – even if they did stop to help them. Across the UK, London is the most trusting region in the UK, with over 44 per cent saying they would trust another driver’s motives, while the South West is the least trusting (30 per cent).

When asked if they themselves would stop if they saw another driver in trouble on the road, just 42 per cent of respondents said they would – 55 per cent of men and less than 30 per cent of women. North East drivers are the most caring with 52 per cent saying they would stop, while just 34 per cent of South East drivers would pull over.

The issue of hitch hiking still splits drivers with less than one per cent of women saying they would pick up a hitchhiker, compared to eight per cent of men. These figures increase significantly if drivers aren’t alone in the car, with 60 per cent of women and 55 per cent of men saying they would pick a hitchhiker up. However 25 per cent of women say that they would never pick a hitchhiker up even if someone else was in the car with them.

In terms of handling dangerous situations 65 per cent would call the police, but 20 per cent – or one in five – would choose to handle the incident themselves, potentially putting themselves in more danger.

Gareth Robinson added: “We found a lot of very strong feeling about the issues the survey raised, and some strong differences in attitudes between different parts of the UK. However, what is consistent is the concern that exists over driver safety – whether this is to do with people driving too fast, or with direct attacks.”