Ever driven to work and realised you can’t remember any of the journey? You are not alone. A new study commissioned by Continental Tyres reports that 59 per cent forget parts of their journey, while 60 per cent admitted “zoning out” whilst behind the wheel. Over half (51 per cent) say they switch to “auto-pilot” on their daily commute to and from work. The survey of 4,000 motorists found that drivers were only fully concentrated on the road for 67 per cent of the time spent in the driver’s seat. And tuning the radio, talking to passengers and gawping at the scenery topped the list of everyday distractions. Nevertheless 86 per cent of the stereotypically humble and self-deprecating British driving public rate themselves as “good drivers”!

Guy Frobisher at Continental Tyres commented: “These statistics are really worrying. When driving, so much can happen in just a few seconds that you need to be able to react quickly so you can brake safely. If you’re not fully paying attention you are less likely to anticipate the risks that emerge during a journey and reactions are slowed. The net effect is that people are not avoiding the risks and they are less likely to brake in time, meaning more accidents.”