Credit Crunch Causes UK Motorists to Lose Sleep and Drink More Alcohol

Online, January 11, 2010 (Newswire.com) - • 1 in 3 doesn't sleep enough, over half men and 44% of women drive when tired
• 24% of motorists drinking more to manage stresses
• 25% of South East drivers more likely to have health problems

A new piece of industry research indicates that British motorists do not get enough sleep at present because of worries and concerns about the credit crunch. The poll questions motorists and found that they are not sleeping enough, that they are experiencing increased health problems and nearly one in four is drinking more to cope.

The poll was conducted by award-winning car hire price comparator www.carrentals.co.uk and questioned more than 1,000 motorists from all over the UK. The resulting data showed that drivers now regularly experience stress-related panic attacks, headaches and breathing difficulties, and that motorists who drive in the South East are those most likely to fall ill because of stress.

Almost a quarter of UK motorists admitted to drinking more alcohol to help them cope with the credit crunch, with people aged between 41 and 50 the most likely to have increased their alcohol consumption. People in this range also fall foul of the most job cuts at 30%, pay cuts at 34% and higher mortgage repayments at 42%.

Gareth Robinson, managing director of www.carrentals.co.uk, said, "It has been a terrible 12 months for many people and the credit crunch has undoubtedly led to higher stress levels. However, the amount of people drinking more as a result is a major worry, not least in terms of the risk to safety on the country's roads."

Drivers are falling ill more frequently as well, with female drivers more likely to get sick than men. The survey showed that 63% of women have had stress-related panic attacks, two thirds admitted to headaches and 54% have had breathing problems.

Too little sleep is common among drivers now, with one third sleeping for less than 6 hours per night, and the poll revealed that more than half of male motorists and 44% of women admit to driving their car when they still feel tired. Londoners are those motorists who sleep the least and North Easterners sleep the most, with more than 75% getting in a minimum of seven hours a night.

Gareth Robinson went on, "Our latest piece of research shows worrying trends in terms of driver sleep deprivation and tiredness. With one in five UK road accidents caused by driver fatigue it is vital that drivers make sure they are refreshed when driving and also that on long drives they take regular rest breaks every couple of hours."

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