Bad Drivers Are Deemed The Biggest Distraction On The Road

A concerning 40% of consumers have deemed bad drivers as the biggest distraction on the roads, according to new research by cost comparison site, Quote Goat.

The research, which surveyed 1,500 consumers between the ages of 18 – 65 on what they consider to be the biggest driving risk, placed the use of mobile phones when driving as the biggest threat [42%], with bad drivers in a close second place [40%].  

Other driving risks identified were bad weather [22%], other passengers [13%] and the use of Satnavs [6%].

Interestingly, when comparing results between male and female respondents, female drivers consider bad drivers on the road as the biggest distraction [42%], which is most prevalent for female drivers between the ages of 55-64 [47%].

However, bad drivers were deemed a less concerning risk for young drivers, where those between the ages of 18-24 placed greater weight on other passengers [20%], bad weather [20%] and loud music [10%].

In contract, half [50%] of drivers aged 65 plus, revealed bad drivers on the road as the biggest distraction, followed by the use of mobile phones [41%] and bad weather [23%].

Other key take outs from the research include:

• Male drivers consider Mobile Phones as the biggest driving distraction, which is most prevalent for those aged between 45 – 54 [53%].

• A small percentage of Male drivers [5%] highlighted potholes and speed cameras as driving distractions, though neither were considered a driving hazard for women.

• Women between the ages of 35 – 44 identified children as one of their main driving hazards, though this wasn’t considered a driving risk for either male respondents or female respondents in any other age bracket.

On discussing the results, Founder and Managing Director of Quote Goat, Michael Foote, said: “Driving distractions have been a hot topic of late, following Prince Philip’s recent road accident and debate as to whether elderly drivers should have to re-take their driving test following a specific age.”

“Our latest consumer survey reveals a growing concern for how others drive on the roads, with ‘bad drivers’ considered the greatest risk for many motorists across all age categories. Thanks to tools like Dashcams, however, more and more bad drivers are being caught, ensuring that innocent drivers involved in road incidents do not face a hike in insurance costs as a result.”