MUK editorial comment… Based on a genuinely alarming survey and report, it seems that an increasing number of speeding drivers admit to not being aware of pedestrians on the road. This, along with other facts established in the survey, needs to be addressed, no matter how difficult it might be when it seems like very little gets done! Anyway, let’s start by making people aware of these facts. Those who are not mindful need to understand just how dangerous it is not to be aware on the roads as it is totally unacceptable and indeed anti-social!
Well done, Isuzu, for undertaking this survey…
READ ON…
Researchers from Isuzu UK polled the nation’s motorists and discovered that almost one in six (15%) admit they are terrible drivers, while a shocking 4% admit they are actually a danger on the roads.
The worst drivers by car are from Cardiff (35%), London (33%), and Liverpool (31%) – with the highest number admitting they need to be better behind the wheel.
In contrast, drivers in Stoke-on-Trent consider themselves the safest, as no one there thinks they are bad drivers. Residents in Nottingham (2%), Cambridge (3%), and Edinburgh (4%) also believe they are among the nation’s safest drivers.
The main reasons for poor driving include too many cars on the road (36%), too small parking spaces (24%), and being easily distracted (20%). Minor roads (17%), along with getting bored behind the wheel (14%), cars not having blind spot detection (13%), and attention monitoring sensors (12%).
One in ten (12%) blame their car for impaired driving, while 11% say not having forward collision warning technology is an issue. 6% dislike their vehicle and say their reversing cameras aren’t excellent (3%).
A third (32%) wish their car had all the mod-cons to help with driving, while 36% say that a larger car would make them feel safer behind the wheel.
According to the survey commissioned by Isuzu’s 5-star Euro NCAP-rated D-Max range, which has multiple safety systems available across the range as standard, over half (54%) say they have had an accident because they weren’t concentrating. Men admit they are more likely (61%) to have a prang while not paying attention compared to women (47%).
20% say they feel nervous when passengers are in their car, and one in five (19%) have friends and family who refuse to get in a vehicle with them because of their questionable driving skills.
In fact, over half (59%) say they have been shouted at or rudely gestured at by another motorist or pedestrian because of a dangerous maneuver, with Gen-Z (67%) and Millennials (67%) most likely to be on the receiving end of another driver’s anger.
Regarding the skills they lack, four in ten (38%) admit they struggle with parallel parking, while a third (32%) need to learn how to check things like tire pressure and coolant level.
UK drivers also struggle with parking in a bay (19%), driving within the speed limit (19%), reversing around the corner (17%), remembering to turn the lights on in the dark (15%), and checking the mirrors before setting off (11%).
One in ten (11%) say they have yet to learn how to drive a manual car, with a further tenth (10%) always forgetting to look out for cyclists and motorcyclists.
Worryingly, 7% confess they forget to look out for pedestrians on the roads!!!
George Wallis, Head of Marketing at Isuzu UK, said: “With over 50 million drivers in Great Britain, it is worrying that as many as 7.5 million consider themselves bad drivers. It’s clear from the research that UK motorists face many challenges on all journeys, from more minor roads, tight parking bays, and even their own vehicles.
One in three said that having a vehicle with all the mod cons like blind spot detection and attention monitoring sensors would help them to be a better driver. Isuzu D-Max’s Advanced Driver Assist System takes pick-up truck safety to a new level, thanks to rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure prevention system, and autonomous emergency braking, so you’ll never have to worry behind the wheel again. This fantastic safety doesn’t happen by accident.”
Two-thirds (62%) wish they were better drivers.
Unsurprisingly, 61% don’t think they will pass their driving test again, and those over 60 are the least confident (63%) about achieving a pass.
CITIES WITH THE WORST DRIVERS, ACCORDING TO BRITISH DRIVERS:
1. Cardiff – 35%,
2. London – 33%,
3. Liverpool – 31%,
4. Plymouth – 15%,
5. Leeds – 12%,
6. Birmingham – 9%,
7. Leicester – 9%,
8. Oxford – 9%,
9. Sheffield – 8%,
10. Brighton – 7%.
This research of 2,000 Britons was commissioned by Isuzu and conducted by Perspectus Global in March 2024.
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- Also, click HERE for more on Motoring and Road Safety stories here on Motoring Echo.