‘I’m a bad driver’ say 15 per cent of British motorists
We’ve always thought that most drivers assume their skills behind the wheel are better than they actually are, but in a recent survey by Isuzu, where respondents could answer anonymously, many have admitted to basic failings that display surprising self-awareness. Just not enough self-awareness to try to address their fairly concerning shortcomings.
Most GRR readers are probably firmly against too much nannying intervention from their cars. Endless bongs and lane departure warnings are tiresome additions to modern cars that we could very well do without, but for the non-enthusiast driver it seems these nagging safety nets are a welcome addition.
Of those surveyed, 11 per cent blamed their poor driving on the car’s lack of forward collision warning. You have to wonder whether they have a windscreen that they can, you know, look out of to see if there are any hazards ahead.
Others blamed the environment. No fewer than 36 per cent claimed they struggled because there are too many cars on the roads, while 17 per cent said that roads are too small. In balance, we do have some sympathy with the 24 per cent who said parking spaces are too small. Modern cars have simply outgrown the standard sized bay, so we’ll give them that.
We assume they weren’t among the 36 per cent who wanted a larger car to feel safer. And we really hope those who want to barge around in a big car are not among the 7 per cent who admit that they forget to look out for pedestrians. We wonder whether they know that it’s possible to voluntarily surrender your driving licence, and we urge them to do so.
The more you read, the worse it gets. A concerning 15 per cent forget to turn on their lights when it’s dark. Presumably these are the people you see with their DRLs ablaze up front but nothing lighting up the rear of their car.
No wonder they want the car to help them out with collision detection if they can’t even remember something as fundamental as switching on their lights. They presumably also need a reminder to breathe in after breathing out.
In total, 15 per cent of those surveyed self-declared as bad drivers, with those in Cardiff the worst (35 per cent), followed by London (33 per cent) and Liverpool (31 per cent). The message seems to be that it’s best to avoid UK cities where a third of drivers are not looking where they’re going and would rather have a larger car with which to obliviously mow down pedestrians. Preferably after dark with no lights on.
Images courtesy of Getty Images.
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