International freight mobility digital solutions provider SNAP has published data on which is the most stressful European cities for Heavy Good Vehicle (HGV) drivers.
The research analysed the levels of stress-related language in over 14 million geotagged, driving-themed social media posts from 150 European cities in 2025.
It then based these on multilingual stress-related language to calculate the percentage of posts expressing stress for each city.
The study mapped Europe’s HGV stress hotspots using real-world driver sentiment, showing how city conditions affect wellbeing.
Research from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute indicates that driving while angry, sad, or agitated makes a crash ten times more likely than at baseline.
Liverpool topped the list of most stressful European cities. With an extensive one-way system, heavy traffic congestion, and ongoing roadworks at The Strand, 60.5% of posts expressed stress driving in the city over the past 12 months.
Close behind, Prague scored 59.2%, while Dublin came in third place (58.5%), a ranking that aligns with its standing as the 11th most congested city in the world, according to INRIX.
SNAP reported that various factors can contribute to stressful conditions for drivers, including congestion, low-emission zones, narrow streets, and inconsistent road signage.
SNAP managing director, Matthew Bellamy, said: “Driver stress levels can be exacerbated by various factors like congestion and the pressures of navigating busy, urban environments. Understanding which areas pose more stress is important to help drivers plan journeys, increasing their safety and wellbeing.”
