We hear a lot about the dangers of distracted driving these days, and with good reason. New car models continue to boast larger and larger screens and many Americans readily admit to texting while driving (more on this below). However, how many “bad” drivers out there are actually experiencing driving anxiety?
We surveyed over 1,000 American drivers to find out how many feel anxiety on the road, in what ways this anxiety changes their driving behaviors, what triggers it most, and who is most susceptible.
America’s Most Anxious Drivers: Gen Z Women in the City
We took a look at driving anxiety from a number of perspectives, including age, gender, living area, and type of car owned. Driving anxiety seems to decrease with age: 24% of Baby Boomers describe themselves as anxious drivers, 33% of Gen X, 43% of Millennials, and 46% of Gen Z.
When it comes to gender, women were much more likely to say they experience driving anxiety (47%) than men (31%). Respondents living in rural areas were the least likely to have driving anxiety at 32%, vs. suburban dwellers at 38% and urban residents at 44%.
Additionally, more than 3 in 4 drivers say they feel scared at least some of the time when driving: 45% are rarely scared, 27% are sometimes scared, and 4% are always scared on the road. Only 23% say they are never scared when driving.
A particularly interesting finding is that truck drivers are the least anxious at 26%, vs. sedan drivers at 45%. The rest of the car breakdown includes:
- Minivan – 34%
- SUV – 35%
- Coupe – 35%
- Hatchback – 39%
- Crossover – 44%
Nearly 2 in 5 Describe Themselves as Anxious Drivers
Among respondents surveyed, 39% describe themselves as anxious drivers. Among them, the top reason given for driving anxiety was dealing with other reckless drivers (81%). Other driving anxieties include:
- Bad weather – 69%
- Traffic – 62%
- Merging – 54%
- Driving at night – 53%
- Driving on the highway – 48%
- Reckless bikers – 46%
- Parallel parking – 45%
- Going around trucks – 41%
- Reckless pedestrians – 38%
- City parking – 37%
- Driving to the airport – 22%
Additionally, 29% say they have avoided driving altogether due to anxiety. Of them, 55% have relied on a family member to drive them instead, 33% have used a rideshare app or taxi, 28% have had a friend help out, and 28% have walked instead. More than half (51%) say they have just stayed home when the driving anxiety hits.
Other behaviors Americans report due to driving anxiety include:
- Avoiding driving in bad weather – 82%
- Avoiding going around trucks – 52%
- Taking alternative routes to avoid the highway – 46%
- Staying in the slow lane to avoid the fast lane – 43%
- Avoiding routes that require merging – 37%
Nearly 1 in 4 Americans have Cancelled Plans Due to Driving Anxiety
Driving anxiety can have a very real effect on Americans’ behavior and decision-making. Nearly one-quarter of respondents (22%) say they have cancelled plans over driving anxiety. Interestingly, 37% say their anxiety is higher when driving with others, while 12% say it is worse when driving alone.
More Than 8 in 10 Would Add Extra Trip Time to Avoid Stressful Route
Although it may seem like every driver out there is crunched for time, the truth is that 81% say they would add extra time to their trip in order to avoid a stressful driving situation. Nearly one-third (31%) would add 5-10 minutes, 20% would add 11-20 minutes, 10% would add 21-30 minutes, and 9% would even add more than 30 minutes to their trip.
Nearly 1 in 5 Drivers Admit to Texting While Driving
It would seem our anxious drivers are on to something when they say other drivers are their top cause of driving anxiety. Half of drivers surveyed admit they go on their phones while driving.
What Do Drivers Do on Their Phones?
- Making a call – 73%
- Navigation – 70%
- Making a video call – 6%
- Watching videos – 5%
- Going on social media – 5%
Additionally, 39% of those who go on their phone while driving admit to texting, which is 19% of all American drivers! Respondents admit to other bad driving habits such as listening to loud music (74%), eating while driving (66%), driving with distracting kids (30%), driving barefoot (17%), driving with distracting pets (16%), and using over-the-ear headphones (7%).
If you find yourself in a sticky situation with one of these distracted drivers, The Patel Firm is here to help. We specialize in representation for car injury victims across the state of Texas. Contact us today to learn more.
Methodology and Fair Use
In October 2026, we surveyed 1,007 Americans online about their reported levels of driving anxiety and driving behavior. Among respondents, 49% identified as women, 49% as men, 1% as nonbinary, and 1% preferred not to say. Ages ranged from 19-82 with an average age of 43.
For media inquiries, contact [email protected]. When citing any of these findings, please attribute by linking to this original study.
