Every driver may fancy themselves an expert behind the wheel but a recent survey has shown that good drivers have several traits in common.
The team at Bill Plant driving school surveyed over 2,500 UK adults aged 30 and over, all of whom have held a full UK driving license for a minimum of 10 years, in order to create a profile of the best drivers on the road.
Each respondent was asked about their driving history, from how many attempts it took them to pass their test, through to any warnings, tickets or fines they may have picked up , accidents and speeding.
So if you have the following in your driving repertoire, you can proudly call yourself one of the UK’s best drivers:
- Started learning to drive at 20 years old
- Passed theory test second time
- Took 11 months to learn to drive
- Passed driving test on second attempt
- First car: Peugeot costing under £1,000
- Used “P” (Passed) plates for at least one month
And if you have the following, you may be less reliable on the road than you realise:
- Started learning to drive at 17 years old
- Passed theory test third time
- Took nine months to learn to drive
- Passed driving test first time
- First car: Vauxhall costing up to £2,000
- Used “P” plates for up to a week
In addition, poorer drivers had even more traits in common:
- Bumped their car at the age of 18
- Caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel at 21
- Caught speeding at 25
- At least two police warnings and cautions by the age of 30
Tom Hixon, head of instructor support at Bill Plant said: “A lot of the time, when it comes to being a good or driver on the road it can come down to a little common sense.
“We’re not saying everyone that learns to drive at 17 years old is going to end up being a reckless driver, or that everyone who starts learning to drive at 20 years old is going to be the perfect driver, but it’s fun to see how you compare.”
