Admiral says the great summer getaway is getting us hot under the collar

Admiral recently questioned 2,000 motorists planning to go on car trips this summer and found that one in seven feel agitated about their upcoming trip. But what most stresses people out about car journeys?

At the top of the car insurance specialist's list was traffic jams, with almost half (46%) the respondents saying they find them stressful, followed by other road users (29%), getting lost (25%) and the sheer volume of traffic (20%). Rounding out the top five was taking the kids (17%). The other road users they said stress them out most were caravans (39%), lorries (36%) and motorbikes (21%).

As well as getting stressed, the survey showed a lack of planning on the part of many motorists, with almost one in five (18%) admitting they don’t plan their route beforehand at all and almost a third (29%) admitting they don’t check traffic reports before they head off.

A quarter forget to buy something and have to do it en route, therefore extending their journey. Almost one in ten (9%) miscalculate the time it takes to get ready to leave, meaning they head off later than expected, hitting all the traffic.

And the time people leave home could have an impact on how busy the roads get. The most popular time for planning to leave was between 8am and 10am with almost two in five (38%) choosing this time.

Dave Halliday, Admiral managing director, said: "The key to minimising stress on your car journey this summer is effective planning. Plan your route thoroughly and allow more than enough time for the journey. Be strict about it. Make sure you leave at the time you planned to and remember to factor in potential traffic jams and breaks. Also, with most people leaving around the same time, why not set off a little earlier or later.

"Worryingly, our survey showed that more than 2 in 5 motorists admit they don’t take sufficient breaks on driving tips. However much you want to reach your destination, it's not worth taking a risk. It’s better to get there slightly later than not at all."

Busy lives have an impact on people's planning as one in five say they don't plan because they have too much to juggle with life in general. Almost one in five (18%) say they prefer to be spontaneous, while a similar number say they are just too lazy to plan their journey properly.

Dave added: "It's also vital that people remember to put as much effort into planning their trip home as they do their trip away. The last thing you want to do is get rid of all that holiday relaxation by getting stressed on your return journey."

Admiral has created a video to help take the stress out of the great summer getaway. It features tips on how to beat the top 5 stress causing factors on summer journeys and expert advice from the Highways Agency on planning properly for your trip. The video can be viewed at: www.admiral.com/greatsummergetaway