Have Driving Standards Really Got Worse In The Last Few Years…?
- Steve King
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
It’s a question I hear almost every week.
“People can’t drive anymore.”
“Driving standards have fallen through the floor.”
“COVID changed everything.”
As driving instructors, we’re in a unique position. We spend more time observing driving than almost anyone else. We see the rushed decisions, the tailgating, the missed signals, the unnecessary risks and the impatient reactions.
It’s easy to conclude that driving standards have simply got worse.
But is that actually what’s happened?
The answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no.
What the evidence tells us
There are certainly signs that some driving behaviours have become more noticeable since the pandemic.
Many drivers report seeing more:
Tailgating
Aggressive driving
Excessive speeding
Poor lane discipline
Mobile phone use
General impatience
These aren’t just observations from instructors. National surveys consistently show that many road users believe standards have declined.
However, official road safety statistics tell a slightly different story.
Road casualties have continued their long-term downward trend, even though traffic levels have largely returned to where they were before COVID.
That doesn’t mean everything is fine.
It simply means the picture isn’t as straightforward as many headlines suggest.
Have driving skills changed?
Probably not as much as we think.
Most drivers haven’t suddenly forgotten how to control a vehicle.
They still steer.
They still change gear.
They still negotiate junctions.
The technical skills of driving haven’t disappeared overnight.
What appears to have changed more noticeably is something else.
Attitude affects behaviour
Driving isn’t just about controlling a car.
It’s about managing yourself.
Patience.
Judgement.
Self-control.
Risk perception.
Emotional regulation.
These are often the first things to suffer when people are stressed, distracted or under pressure.
COVID disrupted routines, increased anxiety for many people and changed the way we travelled. Empty roads became normal for a while before congestion returned almost overnight.
That transition may have influenced how some people now approach driving.
Perhaps people haven’t become less capable.
Perhaps they’ve become less patient.
Are we seeing more because we’re looking harder?
There’s another possibility that deserves consideration.
As instructors, we’re trained to spot faults.
It’s our job.
We notice things that most drivers never see.
Once we start believing driving standards are getting worse, our brains naturally begin collecting evidence that supports that belief.
Psychologists call this confirmation bias.
There’s also something known as the availability heuristic.
Negative experiences stand out.
One dangerous overtake is remembered far longer than twenty minutes of safe, competent driving.
That doesn’t mean our observations are wrong.
It simply reminds us that our brains don’t record every journey equally.
The real question
Maybe we’re asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking:
“Have driving standards got worse?”
Perhaps we should ask:
“What influences good driving?”
Because good driving has never been just about vehicle control.
It’s influenced by:
Stress
Fatigue
Time pressure
Emotions
Confidence
Distraction
Attitudes towards risk
Social norms
If those factors change, driving behaviour changes too.
What this means for driving instructors
As instructors, we can’t control how everyone else drives.
We can influence how our learners respond to it.
That means helping them:
Stay calm around impatient drivers.
Resist copying poor behaviour.
Recognise emotional pressure.
Make safe decisions even when others don’t.
Understand that arriving safely matters more than keeping up.
In many ways, coaching these skills has become even more important than teaching clutch control or parallel parking.
The safest drivers aren’t always those with the best vehicle handling skills.
They’re often the ones who make the best decisions.
A final thought
Do I think some road behaviours have become more aggressive since COVID?
Yes.
Do I think the average driver has suddenly become dramatically less skilled?
Probably not.
I think we’re seeing a combination of genuine behavioural changes, increased stress, changing attitudes and our own tendency to notice negative behaviour more than positive.
As instructors, perhaps our role isn’t to spend our time discussing whether standards have fallen.
Perhaps it’s to raise them.
Every lesson is an opportunity to develop not just a competent driver, but a thoughtful, patient and responsible one.
That may be the biggest contribution any of us can make to improving the roads.
What do you think?
Have you noticed a genuine change in driving behaviour since COVID?
Or do you think we’re simply more aware of poor driving than we used to be?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
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