New Gen Z made up phobia just dropped: "refuel anxiety"

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Half of those who reported ‘refuel anxiety’ said they have asked a partner or family member to fill up their cars for them

Nearly two-thirds of young people are anxious about refuelling their cars, a survey has found.

Online car retailer Cazoo found that 62 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds suffer from what researchers have called “refuel anxiety", The Times reported.

This was almost double the proportion of the total 2,000 respondents who reported anxiety at the petrol station, at 39 per cent.

Outside of concerns over sky-high fuel prices, young drivers reported fears over parking close enough to the pump, identifying the correct type of fuel, or competently operating the petrol nozzle. Researchers said the stem of the worries related to fear of making a mistake in public.

Generation Z respondents also reported concerns over hygiene and a fear of queues.

Half of those who had the worries also admitted to letting their tank run “dangerously” low to put off having to go to the petrol station. A quarter said they had run out of petrol on the road after being so hesitant to refuel.

More than two-thirds of respondents also said they had asked a partner, family member or friend to fill up for them to avoid feeling anxious. That figure was a little over half for all respondents to the survey.

The high levels of anxiety follow reports that the number of 17- to 20-year-olds holding a full driving licence has halved compared with the late 1980s.

Roughly one in four people between the ages of 17 and 20 currently hold a full driving licence, according to figures released by the Ministry of Transport, down from almost one in two young adults in 1989.

Harry Waring, a motoring expert at Cazoo, said: “Filling up may seem like a simple, everyday task to many. But our research shows it’s a genuine source of anxiety for millions of drivers, particularly those that are younger or less experienced.

“It’s not just about the rising cost of fuel but also confidence, social pressure and the fear of making a mistake in a public setting.”

Cazoo previously found that many young drivers were also anxious about parking.

An earlier survey found that two-thirds of drivers aged between 18 and 28 had asked parents, friends or partners to park for them.

However, unlike the disparity in figures on the polling for petrol stations, nearly every single respondent said they suffered anxiety about parallel or reverse parking. That figure was at 96 per cent.

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