Almost one in five drivers in the UK say they would choose a drive as one of the top ways to de-stress, according to a new study.

The survey by Dacia revealed that 17 per cent of drivers would choose heading out for a solo excursion in their car, making driving to relax more popular than traditional mindfulness or meditation (10 per cent). What’s more 65 per cent of those surveyed said that just sitting in their car brings inner peace.

Diving deeper into the data shows that the main reason people believe driving counts as meditation is the feeling of escape (reported by 65 per cent of those surveyed). Listening to playlists or music was cited by 49 per cent and switching off from worrying thoughts was the reason given by 41 per cent of people. Other reasons include feeling in control of one’s life, time free from a mobile phone and experiencing new sights.

Britain is clearly a nation of Detourists as these are all key factors as to why Detour was founded. They’re feelings shared by our founders, the leading lights who share their Favourite Detours and all our contributors. We believe that driving really is good for the soul, and we hope that our hundreds of driving adventures inspire you to take to the road – and take a break.