Research has revealed the motoring woes that are driving British drivers around the bend – and the travel tricks taken to help them stay calm and in control while on the road, including listening to certain music.

The poll of 2,000 British drivers, commissioned by Avis Car Rental, found that over half (52%) get stressed out at least once a week while driving, with nearly one in ten (7%) feeling stressed behind the wheel every single day.

Slow drivers top the list of motoring mares, with over a third (39%) of those surveyed admitting to getting frustrated when stuck behind vehicles moving at a snail’s pace, followed by traffic jams (31%), road work (30%) and people driving in the wrong lane (27%). Other common grievances amongst drivers include being on the roads when there is bad weather (17%), cyclists (13%) and the stress of getting into small parking spaces (9%).

But it’s not just situations behind the wheel that can stress motorists out – it’s also the destinations they are driving to. Nearly two in five (38%) report driving to a job interview as their top travel terror, followed by driving when on the way to deliver bad news to someone (31%) or to a funeral (27%).

So how do British motorists keep their road rage at bay? Over half of Brits (55%) consider the quality of the car they drive to have an impact on how relaxed they feel while driving. Topping the list of car types deemed most relaxing to drive is the Audi A4.

The majority of Brits (69%) also listen to music to de-stress in the car, with an additional 17% praising the benefits of singing behind the wheel. Over a quarter (27%) say that turning the volume up helps them to stay stress-free, while only 15% would turn the volume down in a stressful driving situation. Pop music is the genre of choice when it comes to calming car drivers down (26%), followed by classical (15%) and rock music (13%).

Music psychologist Dr. Daniel Müllensiefen from Goldsmiths, University of London, partnered with Avis to look into why and how motorists use music to relieve stress while behind the wheel. Commenting on the research, he said: “The drivers surveyed showed a great capacity to handle their mood and emotions with music in order to compensate for stressful situations on the road. The great majority of people who are behind the steering wheel every day seem to become experts in using music to their benefit and to make driving under stress more bearable.â€

To help customers stay stress free, Avis Select Series also commissioned research into the top tunes that Brits use to relieve their stress while on the road. Adele topped the list of travel tunes with her soulful ballad Someone Like You, followed by Coldplay’s Yellow and the John Legend classic Imagine.

The Top 10 artists and songs were:

  1. Adele – Someone Like You
  2. Coldplay – Yellow
  3. John Lennon – Imagine
  4. George Ezra – Budapest
  5. Ellie Goulding – How Long Will I Love You
  6. Alicia Keys – Girl On Fire
  7. All Saints – Pure Shores
  8. Eva Cassidy – Over The Rainbow
  9. Ella Henderson – Ghost
  10. Toto – Africa