Who are the politest drivers?

by Taryn Davies | 29 May 2012

How polite are you on the road?

Ford drivers consider themselves the politest people on the road – and white van men admit to being the rudest, a study revealed.

Researchers found those behind the wheel of a Ford are the most likely to indicate, let other drivers out at junctions and give fellow motorists plenty of room.

Other courteous drivers on the road include Audi, Citroen Vauxhall and Peugeot owners.

But white van men have lived up to their road-hog reputation after admitting they are the rudest drivers, with a quarter confessing to often being bad-mannered while behind the wheel.

Those who own a Porsche, Range Rover, Land Rovers, Mercedes or Saab also featured in the poll of ill-mannered drivers.

Peter Harrison, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket.com, which commissioned the study, said: “Few people can claim to be a model driver all the time and this survey shows which car drivers are closer to being perfect than others.

‘’Whether it’s letting people out at junctions, speeding through changing traffic lights or refusing to indicate correctly; other drivers notice these things.

These results show we really associate bad driving habits with different makes of car.

"So, if the car you drive is in the rudest list, perhaps you should do your bit for the reputation of the car you drive and let a few more people out, or indicate more often to try and change that."

The study of 2,500 drivers revealed that 62 per cent of Ford drivers always indicate at roundabouts or when turning at a junction.

But three quarter of white van drivers admitted they never show people where they intend to go, along with more than a quarter of BMW owners and one in five Lexus owners.

Ford drivers are also among the most likely to let fellow road users out in front of them.

In comparison, a mean 30 per cent of Jaguar drivers say they never let other motorists out in front of them.

Worryingly, more than half of BMW drivers acknowledged they often fail to stop at a zebra crossing, while 53 per cent of Honda owners regularly speed through a pedestrian crossing as the lights change.

Renault drivers were found to be least likely to cut up other drivers, along with those behind the wheel of a Ford, Mazda or Peugeot.

And Nissan, Ford, Skoda and Seat drivers are among the most considerate parkers.

But a quarter of BMW drivers admitted they often park without thinking about whether other people can use the spaces next to them, or even get back in their cars.

Twenty-four per cent of Honda drivers also owned up to often leaving their car in a bad spot, although they claim it is simply because they aren’t very good at parking.

Jaguar, Audi and Lexus drivers were named the angriest and most likely to suffer some form of road rage while behind the wheel.

In comparison, Ford, Vauxhall, Skoda and Volkswagon drivers were among the calmest.

But researchers found that the type of car you drive can have a real effect on how other people treat you on the road, with more than a third of drivers saying people who own the same make of car as they do are more likely to be polite and courteous.

Peter Harrison, car insurance expert for MoneySupermarket added: ‘’It’s very clear we have preconceptions about other drivers based on the type of car they are driving and insurers also take the make and model of your vehicle into account when pricing for car insurance.

“More expensive cars are understandably more costly to insure and those with more powerful engines are also deemed as much higher risk.

‘’However, cover cost will vary between insurers and shopping around and comparing the premium prices available will help you see which insurer is the right fit for you and your vehicle.”

Top ten self-proclaimed polite drivers