When you ask most people if they’re a good driver, they’ll probably say yes without hesitating. But ask them to change a flat tyre or drive in a foreign country on the opposite side of the road and that confidence can quickly fade.
Most drivers pass their test and never look back, but confidence behind the wheel isn’t the same as competence. Many haven’t revisited the Highway Code since the day they passed and the gaps that follow can knock even the most experienced drivers.
According to our most recent survey of 2,000 drivers from the UK’s biggest 17 cities, nearly three quarters (73%) of British motorists have avoided or delayed a driving situation because they didn’t feel confident enough and more than half (51%) said they have had an incident behind the wheel that has damaged their confidence.
We launched the survey to find out which city has the UK’s most confident drivers, asking drivers to rate their confidence across 48 driving-related tasks, split into four categories: manoeuvres and tasks; road types and conditions; driving situations; and car maintenance. We then used those responses to calculate an overall confidence score for each city.
Key findings:
- Sheffield drivers rate themselves as the most confident in the UK with an overall confidence score of 77 out of a possible 100
- Belfast ranks as the least confident location overall with a score of just 29, followed by Edinburgh (31) and Southampton (34)
- Brits are most confident in bay parking and navigating roundabouts with 94% of drivers feeling confident in both
- Driving abroad is the task Brits feel least confident about, with just over half (55%) feeling comfortable behind the wheel in another country
- Brits also aren’t as sure of themselves when it comes to vital maintenance tasks, with fewer than six in 10 drivers comfortable changing a flat tyre (59%) or replacing a headlight bulb (55%)
The UK Cities With The Most Confident Drivers
Driving confidence varies across the country, but according to our research, drivers in Sheffield are the most confident in their own abilities, with an overall confidence score of 77 out of a possible 100. Cardiff follows closely behind with a score of 75, with Plymouth, London and Norwich rounding out the top five.
The UK’s Top 10 Cities For Driving Confidence
| Rank | City | Manoeuvres and Tasks Score /25 | Road Types and Conditions Score /25 | Situations Score /30 | Maintenance Score /20 | Overall Confidence Score /100 |
| 1 | Sheffield | 15 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 77 |
| 2 | Cardiff | 18 | 19 | 22 | 16 | 75 |
| 3 | Plymouth | 16 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 66 |
| 4 | London | 16 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 63 |
| 5 | Norwich | 18 | 12 | 18 | 14 | 62 |
| 6 | Birmingham | 16 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 60 |
| 7 | Manchester | 12 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 56 |
| 8 | Nottingham | 11 | 12 | 20 | 13 | 56 |
| 9 | Leeds | 15 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 54 |
| 10 | Glasgow | 12 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 54 |
- Sheffield – Confidence Score of 77/100
Sheffield’s drivers lead as the most confident drivers in the UK in almost every category, but perform particularly strongly when it comes to handling different road types and conditions, where they score 22 out of a possible 25. Given that Sheffield is one of the most topographically varied cities in England, with steep hills, city centre roads and easy access to rural routes, drivers there are likely more skilled in coping with a wide range of road types. Their score for maintenance tasks is also the highest in the country, with more than nine in 10 (92%) saying they can change a flat tyre, a huge 33% above the national average (59%).
- Cardiff – Confidence Score of 75/100
Cardiff‘s drivers score highest for handling stressful situations, such as dealing with an aggressive driver, navigating roadworks or handling a breakdown. The Welsh capital’s motorists are also particularly assured when it comes to knowing what to do if their car breaks down, with 94% feeling happy handling this situation – that’s well above the national average of 77%. When it comes to motorway driving, 95% feel confident driving on a motorway and changing lanes, putting them among the most motorway-confident in the country.
- Plymouth – Confidence Score of 66/100
In Plymouth, drivers enjoy all-round confidence across the four categories. However, compared to other drivers, they feel more assured about driving when tired (93%) or in an unfamiliar car (91%). The city’s position on the south-west coast, with regular long drives required to reach other urban centres, may help explain why its drivers feel so relaxed behind the wheel. They also back themselves when it comes to their maintenance skills, with 93% saying they can jump-start a car.
The UK Cities With The Least Confident Drivers
Not all UK drivers feel equally as assured on the road, though. At the other end of the table, Belfast’s drivers are the least confident overall, with a confidence score of just 29. Edinburgh and Southampton follow closely with scores of 31 and 34 respectively.
Matt Clamp, our in-house car scrappage expert, suggests refresher lessons for drivers who are struggling with a lack of confidence on the road. “Refresher lessons are becoming a popular option for experienced drivers, not just learners,” he says. “A few hours with an instructor can help rebuild confidence in specific situations such as motorway driving, parking or driving in unfamiliar areas.”
The UK’s Bottom 5 Cities For Driving Confidence
| Rank | City | Manoeuvres and Tasks Score /25 | Road Types and Conditions Score /25 | Situations Score /30 | Maintenance Score /20 | Overall Confidence Score /100 |
| 1 | Belfast | 9 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 29 |
| 2 | Edinburgh | 5 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 31 |
| 3 | Southampton | 10 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 34 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 10 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 37 |
| 5 | Brighton | 13 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 47 |
- Belfast – Confidence Score of 29/100
Belfast-based drivers are the least confident overall. Motorists here tend to struggle most with vehicle maintenance and with a score of 1 for this category, it’s the lowest in the whole study. Less than half (46%) can confidently identify dashboard warning lights, compared to the national average of 81%, while half (50%) don’t feel happy replacing a headlight bulb or inflating tyres. Belfast also scores lowest of all 17 cities for confidence driving abroad, with just three in 10 (30%) feeling comfortable doing so.
- Edinburgh – Confidence Score of 31/100
Edinburgh gets the lowest score of any city for manoeuvres and tasks, with just 5 out of a possible 25. Scotland’s capital city has a complex layout consisting of narrow Georgian streets, tram lines and some of the busiest traffic in the UK, and this may contribute to lower confidence in precision driving. Their confidence dealing with potentially stressful situations is also the second lowest in the study, with just two thirds (67%) feeling confident when being flashed or honked at by another driver and the same amount when navigating a diversion route, both well below the UK averages of 80% and 84% respectively.
- Southampton – Confidence Score of 34/100
Southampton’s drivers score lower than the national average in all four categories. Their score for situations of 9 is one of the weakest in the study, with only 69% feeling good about navigating a diversion and 70% feeling comfortable driving with passengers talking or distracting them. Confidence driving in snow and ice also dips to just over half (51%) compared to the UK average of 63%.
Which Tasks Are Britain’s Drivers Most Confident In?
We also looked at how drivers across the entire UK rate their confidence for each individual task. Across the board, confidence tends to be highest for the tasks that drivers practise most often, perhaps unsurprising given that seven in 10 people said experience behind the wheel matters more than age in our Driving Age Report.
Matt Clamp believes experience isn’t the only factor, though. He says, “Driving confidence isn’t just about how long you’ve been on the road either – it can change throughout the course of your driving career, and can be influenced by the situations you encounter and how often you venture out of your comfort zone.”
Standard driving manoeuvres and motorway skills make up the majority of the top 10 tasks drivers are most confident in, suggesting that when it comes to the everyday basics, most UK drivers are in good shape.
The Top 10 Tasks UK Drivers Feel Most Confident In
| Rank | Task | % of Drivers Confident |
| 1 | Bay parking | 94% |
| 2 | Roundabouts | 94% |
| 3 | Three point turn | 93% |
| 4 | Changing lanes on motorway | 92% |
| 5 | Dealing with an emergency vehicle approaching | 92% |
| 6 | Overtaking | 91% |
| 7 | Using a sat nav or route guidance | 90% |
| 8 | Reverse around a corner | 89% |
| 9 | Joining a motorway or dual carriageway from slip road | 89% |
| 10 | Driving on a motorway | 89% |
Bay parking and roundabouts take the top spots, with 94% of people feeling happy tackling these. Both are tasks that most UK drivers encounter on almost every journey, so it makes sense that confidence is so high. That said, not all roundabouts are created equal. Our research into the world’s most confusing junctions found that some of the UK’s most stressful roads are roundabouts, such as Swindon’s Magic Roundabout, suggesting confidence can quickly fade when the layout is not the standard.
Three-point turns and reversing around a corner also appear in the top 10, reflecting the core manoeuvres that driving tests prepare people for.
What stands out in this list is how well British drivers rate their motorway confidence. Joining from a slip road, changing lanes, and driving on a motorway all get ratings of 89% or higher. Despite motorways being statistically the safest roads in the country, they have a reputation for making newer drivers nervous. Motorway driving isn’t part of the standard driving test, meaning many don’t experience one until after they’ve already passed.
Which Tasks Are Britain’s Drivers Least Confident In?
The least confidence-inspiring tasks tell a consistent story too. Whether it’s bad weather, a breakdown or driving in a foreign country, anything unpredictable or unfamiliar scores relatively low. Most tasks in this list involve car maintenance, but with driving abroad as the skill Brits feel least confident about.
The Top 10 Tasks UK Drivers Feel Least Confident In
| Rank | Task | % of Drivers Confident |
| 1 | Driving abroad | 55% |
| 2 | Replacing a headlight bulb | 55% |
| 3 | Changing a flat tyre | 59% |
| 4 | Checking brake fluid levels | 63% |
| 5 | Driving in snow or ice | 63% |
| 6 | Driving when you’re tired | 64% |
| 7 | Jump-starting a car with jump leads | 65% |
| 8 | Replacing a wiper blade | 67% |
| 9 | Driving in fog | 68% |
| 10 | Checking coolant levels | 73% |
Driving abroad scores the lowest of all 48 tasks with just 55% of Brits confident in doing so, which may reflect a combination of unfamiliar road rules and the practicalities of driving on the opposite side of the road. Matt Clamp agrees: “Nervous drivers often avoid the situations they find most difficult. The challenge is that avoiding them can sometimes make confidence harder to regain. The key is not to avoid the situations you find challenging, but to gradually build experience in them so they become familiar.”
If you’re curious about which countries are most likely to test your nerve, our research into the world’s most nerve-racking nations to drive in reveals exactly that.
Car maintenance tasks dominate the bottom of the table and these skills could make a real difference in an emergency. Knowing how to change a flat tyre, jump-start a car or spot a dashboard warning light could be the difference between getting home safely and being stranded at the roadside, waiting for a mechanic. Yet only 55% feel confident replacing a headlight bulb, 59% can change a flat tyre and just 65% would back themselves to jump-start a car.
Matt Clamp urges people to carry out car maintenance checks more often. “Making a habit out of checking your fluid levels or refreshing your knowledge of how to tackle a flat tyre or broken wiper blade can make all the more difference and ensure that confidence is there for the next time you complete the task for real. After all, good maintenance is the key to keeping your car on the road for longer,” he says.
While 78% of people said they are comfortable discussing repairs with a mechanic when necessary, not everyone has equal access to one they can trust. In our Global Mechanics Trust Index, we ranked cities across the UK and around the world by the trustworthiness of their local garages.
Even the most confident of drivers won’t get very far in a car that’s not viable to keep on the road. If yours has reached that point and repairs no longer make financial sense, scrapping your car could be the most straightforward option.
Methodology
We surveyed 2,003 UK drivers in 17 cities. Each participant rated their confidence performing 48 driving tasks, split across four categories: manoeuvres and tasks (weighted 25%), road types and conditions (25%), situations (30%) and maintenance (20%). Scores were combined within each category and weighted to produce an overall confidence score out of 100 for each city. Where percentages appear equal, the rankings were determined using unrounded values
Data correct as of June 2026
