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Leeds named England’s most stressful city for taxi drivers in new study covering 112 cities
Leeds has been named England’s most stressful city for drivers making deliveries or dropping off passengers, according to a new study by car insurer Zego. The findings point to road conditions that could affect taxi drivers as well as delivery workers, particularly in busy urban areas.
Zego assessed 112 towns and cities using five measures, including traffic levels, collision density, the proportion of collisions that were serious or fatal, and the share that occurred on adverse road surfaces. Leeds scored 9.03 out of 10, ahead of Sheffield on 8.89 and Bradford on 8.77.
The study recorded average daily traffic flow of about 24,359 vehicles at the Leeds locations analysed, alongside approximately 4,292 collisions per 100 square kilometres between 2021 and 2025. For taxi drivers, those conditions can shape the time and difficulty involved in reaching passengers, completing drop-offs and moving between fares.
Sheffield ranked second, with an average daily traffic flow of around 19,852 vehicles and about 2,861 collisions per 100 square kilometres. Bradford placed third and recorded the highest collision density among the top 10, at approximately 5,246 collisions per 100 square kilometres.
Preston ranked fourth, scoring 8.76. Almost 31.5% of its recorded collisions were classified as serious or fatal. Blackburn completed the top five with a score of 8.65 and around 3,919 collisions per 100 square kilometres.
The results suggest that traffic volumes alone do not determine the level of road pressure. Bury had the highest average daily traffic flow among the top 10, at approximately 25,408 vehicles, but ranked sixth. Stockport recorded about 22,708 vehicles a day and ranked eighth.
The study comes ahead of the Black Friday and Christmas period, when roads are likely to be busy with delivery traffic and passenger journeys.
Zego cited estimates that around 16 million people experienced late letters or parcel deliveries over the previous Christmas period, although the research does not establish that road conditions caused those delays.
For taxi operators and drivers, the rankings provide a comparison of the road-related challenges recorded across different locations. The figures cover selected traffic locations and collision data; they do not measure taxi journey times, driver experience or passenger demand directly.
Sten Saar, CEO and Co-founder of Zego, said: “Most people only think about a delivery when they’re waiting for a parcel to arrive, but there’s a whole journey behind every knock at the door.
“Behind every delivery is a driver working to get orders to people safely, often while navigating busy roads and making multiple stops throughout the day. During the Christmas rush, when delivery volumes increase, the pressure to keep everything moving can be particularly acute.
“Delivery drivers have to navigate traffic, changing road conditions and busy streets while making their way between addresses. When roads are challenging, that can add pressure to an already demanding working day.
“It’s a reminder that deliveries don’t happen in isolation from the roads we all use. Understanding the conditions drivers face helps shine a light on the work that goes into getting orders safely to customers.
“Whether someone is waiting for a weekly shop, a birthday gift or a Christmas present, road safety matters to everyone. Giving drivers the space and time to travel safely is one small but important part of making journeys safer.”
