Overseas Driving Fear for UK Women

British females are too scared to take on the roads of Europe with over a half saying they won't even attempt to drive outside the UK this summer, that's according to a new report published by TravelSupermarket.

A poll conducted by the holiday comparison website TravelSupermarket has revealed that UK women are far more worried than men about car accidents and getting behind the wheel in Europe. 73% of females have never attempted it and a further 47% would reportedly rule out the idea completely.

Bob Atkinson, of TravelSupermarket, said: “Hiring a car is already a massively popular method of getting around when you're on holiday.

“Although driving abroad might seem a daunting prospect, it can be the enabler to a fantastic holiday and is far easier than you would imagine.”

Despite these comments, 17% of females who have driven abroad said it was more tasking and harder to navigate than driving in the UK – compared with just 9% of men. The survey of 2,002 adults also found that men were far more likely to cause damage to hire cars abroad or fall foul of foreign driving rules. Men were also keener than women to recommend continental driving to others and to pick racy cars to drive overseas.

Travel experts have urged all drivers to try and overcome their fears in order to make the most of their holiday, suggesting it can be far easier to drive abroad than they may imagine.

Men it seems do not have the same fears by and large, but their eagerness to try anything while abroad does appear to cause different problems. Indeed, research has shown that males are more likely to damage a hire car or break the driving rules of the country they are visiting.

So, just how scary are Europe's roads in reality? Compared to parts of Africa and Asia, the roads of the EU are very safe and getting safer. Across the countries of the European Union road fatalities dropped by 8% in 2013.

Of all the countries in Europe the UK’s roads are the second safest, with only Sweden boating a better record (28 deaths per million inhabitants as opposed to 29 deaths per million).

Have you been unlucky enough to suffer an injury as a result of a road traffic accident in the last three years? Call Winn Solicitors today on 0800 988 6288.

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