Europe's Bad Driving Habits

A recent report by Vinci Autoroutes' Responsible Driving Barometer has found that while 97% of Europeans believe they are good drivers, 79% have a negative opinion of other drivers they share the road with. The survey was conducted across 11 countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Greece, Slovakia, and Sweden, with 12,400 people taking part.

The survey not only asked participants how they felt about other drivers, but also about their own bad driving habits. Shockingly, 82% of Europeans admit to taking their eyes off the road for more than two seconds, which could lead to a significant accident. If driving at the maximum French speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour, drivers would cover 72 meters (approximately three-quarters of a soccer field) in that time.

Over half of the survey participants, or 53%, also admitted to paying less attention to the road than they should. Furthermore, 14% of respondents had or nearly had an accident while driving due to being tired. Meanwhile, 26% confessed to falling asleep behind the wheel.

The survey found that three-quarters of Europeans use their smartphones for any reason while driving, even for GPS directions. Moreover, 66% of participants talk on the phone while driving, although 55% of them use a Bluetooth speaker system, which is less dangerous. But 25% of respondents still send and read text messages while driving, while 15% take part in work meetings over the phone while driving, and 9% watch videos on their phones.

Questions

What are your biggest complaints about other drivers on the road?

Who would you say is the best driver you know?

Is there anyone you feel uncomfortable driving with?

How difficult is it to get a driver's license where you live?

Have you had many traffic fines?