Most Gen Z drivers ask others to park cars for them

Telegraph

25-04-2025

Most Gen Z drivers are too anxious to park their own cars, a survey has found.
Two thirds of drivers between 18 and 28-years-old have asked parents or friends to park for them, and 96 per said they suffer anxiety about parallel or reverse parking.
This is despite the risk of a £5000 fine and six points on their licence if their helpers are not insured for that vehicle.
The research, by online British car retailer Cazoo, also found that one in eight younger drivers have been in an accident in the past month.
Gen Z drivers, those born between 1997 and 2012, are not alone in their parking anxiety.
Twenty-eight per cent of Generation X, aged 45 to 60-years-old, said they had asked someone to park for them, while only 14 per cent of Baby Boomers, 61 to 70-years-old, have done so.
'Genuine source of stress'
The types of parking to make Gen Z drivers the most nervous include: 'parking while others are waiting' (47 per cent), ' parking between two cars close together/a small space ' (43 per cent) and parallel parking (40 per cent).
Some 97 per cent of Gen Z drivers told Cazoo they would park further away from their destination to find an easier spot to park in.
Harry Waring, motoring specialist at Cazoo, said parking anxiety was a real phenomenon for a lot of motorists.
He said: 'It's clear that parking isn't just a small worry for many of us – it's a genuine source of stress, with some drivers going to great lengths to avoid tricky spaces.
'From circling for ages to find an easier spot, to walking extra miles or even risk breaking the law, 'park-xiety' is something most drivers can relate to.'
But Mr Waring said anxious drivers can be reassured by the fact that most modern cars are equipped with parking assist, reverse cameras and self-parking functionality to help them with the basic task.
While Gen Z drivers may be scared of parking, a survey by Enterprise Mobility last year found that Gen Z drivers were driving more than any other generation.
It comes as young motorists are choosing to pay thousands extra for an electric car instead of a petrol or diesel model.
A recent study has found under-25s are splashing out £16,139 more to buy an EV as their first car.