STRESS caused by driving on UK roads can cause high blood pressure, heart disease and mental illness.

European law recommends that the British work fewer hours. For a lot of people their work is sitting in a traffic jam - achieving absolutely nothing.

If you are stuck behind the wheel and worrying about being late, the stress starts to build.

Research concludes this inactivity results in negative thoughts, leaving the driver in a depressed state of mind, resulting in poor work performance.

Wexler Europe claims it has come up with the answer to improve a motorist’s work performance and their health. Its researchers found that motorists who recorded their thoughts and ideas while in traffic performed significantly better than those who did not.

The research resulted in the manufacture of a special miniature digital recording device. It has no tapes, no moving parts and is voice activated. It will store 198 separate messages - and it is ideal for in-car use as the Digital Voice Stick is totally hands free. Recording time is over three hours and messages can be retrieved in seconds.

Mark Cornwall of Car Parts Direct, the UK importer, said: “The Digital Voice Stick frees the brain to think and the hands to drive.

"When people use their minds to store useless information it impedes rational thought. They become negative and tired. Bad drivers and awful decision makers.

"The Digital Voice Stick improves the driver’s memory, organisational skills and performance - we’ve tried it and tested it. It really does work.”