Where are Britain's Worst Motorists - By Their Own Admission?!
Get ready to clutch your steering wheel a little tighter, because the truth about driving in the UK is scarier than Freddie Kruger chasing you in the truck from Jeepers Creepers!
Commissioned by Isuzu, a new study reveals that 15% of British motorists confess to being downright terrible drivers. And if that's not terrifying enough to pull your seatbelt a little tighter, a small but significant 4% actually admit they’re a danger to other road users. If you happen to know any of those 4%, please cut up their driving licence and sell their car (er... after getting their consent of course!).
So where are the driving horror hotspots you need to get the highway out of? Helpfully the survey, which polled 2,000 drivers in March 2024, also pinpointed where you’re most likely to encounter these self-confessed motoring menaces.
Now you're probably thinking of the great capital city of London, right? A nightmare to navigate for most motorists even without the poor driving skills and lack of awareness behind the wheel? Well, you're not entirely wrong, as 33% of drivers admit to being pretty mediocre at the wheel. However, it was only second on the list.
Top spot astonishingly, went to Cardiff! Despite having a population of less than half a million people, the Welsh capital city takes the crooked crown with 35% of drivers admitting they’re not great behind the wheel.
No wonder the Beatles sang "Baby, you can drive my car" because Liverpool takes third place for Britain's worst drivers, with 31% conceding they weren't great at driving.
Where can the Liverpudlians go to get away from all the dire drivers? Well, they could grab the M6 and cruise down to nearby Stoke-on-Trent. That's where you'll find the nation’s most confident drivers, with not a single person admitting they’re bad at driving. Though it has to be asked: confident or conceited?
Why the Downhill Driving Skills on Our Roads?
Apparently, it’s not just a lack of skill, but distractions that are causing motoring mayhem. Over half (54%) of British drivers have been involved in accidents because they weren’t paying attention. Typically they were distracted by their phones, but complex infotainment systems were also cited as a distraction. Men are the worst offenders, with 61% admitting they’ve had a prang while distracted, compared to 47% of women.
Are there too many cars on the road? 36% say there are - more cars, more fender-benders? 24% say parking spaces are too small - to be fair, modern cars are much bigger than when most parking spaces were originally marked out.
A whopping 14% confess they simply get bored while driving. Yes, you read that right, modern cars have become so cushy and easy to drive that for some, it’s a real yawn-fest. Tellingly, 12% wish they had attention-monitoring sensors. With so many admitting to crashing from not watching where they're going, frankly, they need them!
One aspect of the apathy at the wheel is that 32% of drivers are longing for more advanced driving aids. These are the motorists who would prefer to be passengers in their rides, letting autonomous systems take over while they surf social media. For example, 13% of drivers moan if their cars don’t have blind-spot detection, while 11% of drivers are upset they don’t have forward collision warning technology. Well, guess what? We all have built-in forward collision alert systems – they’re called eyes. Try using them!
"It's the Car's Fault!" Really?
Shockingly, 12% of drivers blame their cars for their poor driving. Yes, apparently their Vauxhall Astra is directly responsible for their inability to give way at junctions. Even more bizarre, 6% say they’re terrible drivers because they hate their car - newsflash: maybe it's time to change your car?
It may not entirely come as a surprise to learn that 19% of people say their friends and family outright refuse to get into a car with them due to their questionable driving skills. Well, take a hint, guys!
As if that wasn’t bad enough, 59% of drivers have been on the receiving end of road rage, with either a shout or a rude hand gesture from fellow motorists or pedestrians. Gen Z and Millennials are particularly prone to being on the wrong end of someone’s temper, with 67% saying they’ve experienced it.
Lack of Technique, Knowledge... and Common Sense?
Parallel parking remains a nightmare for 38% of drivers, although we're a bit surprised that figure is not higher, much higher. After all, mastering parallel parking requires grasping the “Nonholonomic System,” which is part of Newtonian Mechanics. Reassuringly complicated then.
Then there’s the 32% of drivers who don’t know how to check basic things like tyre pressure or coolant levels. Seriously, the air pump is at every petrol station – use it! As for coolant, quick tip - never touch a hot radiator cap unless you fancy a trip to A&E. You shouldn't need to anyway, as the radiator reservoir bottle, normally located near the front, is usually translucent with clear markings indicating high and low fluid levels.
Alarmingly, 10% of drivers admit they forget to check for cyclists and motorcyclists, while 7% forget to even look out for pedestrians. Watch out, people!
Is There Hope for Britain's Drivers?
Despite a staggering 61% of drivers believing they wouldn’t pass their driving test again (even higher for those over 60, with 63% of them doubting their ability to survive the scrutiny of a test examiner), here’s a slightly more hopeful stat: 62% of drivers say they want to get better at driving.
Fortunately, there are plenty of resources out there to help, from instructional books to online videos, and advanced driving courses like those offered by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM). Not only can these help you become a better driver, but they might even save you a few quid on your insurance.
British drivers aren’t all terrible, but the fact that so many admit they need help is worrying. With modern cars taking over more of the workload and distractions increasing every day, it’s no surprise that driving skills are on the decline. So, if you’re feeling a bit rusty behind the wheel, maybe it’s time for a refresher.
For those of you who are doing just fine, keep it up! We need more of you on the roads. As for the rest – what are you going to do about it?
