Driving can be dangerous at the best of times. That's why my mom said to me, "treat everyone else on the road like they're crazy, and you'll stay safe."
Now, a new study as suggested that I may need to look at nothing more than the type of car my fellow motorists are driving. And what vehicles should you be looking out for? Well, Audi, because it turns out that their drivers are statistically the worst and least considerate people on the roads.
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The study was conducted by Van Monster, and at this point, it's worth noting that it only referred to what Audi drivers were like on the road. We're sure they're still perfectly nice people. Mostly.
The survey involved 2,000 drivers and found that those who drove Audis were the least likely to own up to causing damage on the roads, parking across two spaces or parking on double yellow lines.
As if that wasn't bad enough, of 33 driving misdemeanours, Audi drivers were most likely to commit 27.
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However, Audi drivers weren't the only motorists to come off badly in the survey. Seat drivers were found to have the biggest penchant for road rage.
Meanwhile, Volvo drivers were deemed to the safest and most responsible drivers, closely followed by those in Hyundai and Honda cars.
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On top of the other offenses listed, Audi drivers were also found to be the most likely to litter by throwing stuff out the window, in a different but similar survey by Van Monster.
Matt Oliver, a spokesperson for GoCompare Car Insurance, said of the findings: "While it may be no surprise that higher-powered, luxury cars are the marques of choice for some of the more dangerous drivers on the road, it's not true of all owners of these makes."
They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but can you judge a person by their car? Some people think the car you drive says a lot about your personality. For example, Prius owners are pretentious 'holier-than-thou' hippies; Porsche owners are flashy status-seekers going through a mid-life crisis; Hummer owners are rednecks with small penises that are constantly overcompensating. Sure, these are all stereotypes, but sometimes they contain a grain of truth. After all, we buy vehicles to suit our needs, and show off our personal taste. It makes sense for our vehicles to reflect an aspect of our personality. I mean, look at Back to the Future. Can you imagine Doc Brown in anything but a DeLorean?
But who are the rudest drivers in the world? Obviously, everybody in Los Angeles. That's an easy question. To be more specific, who are the rudest drivers in terms of the type of car they drive? According to a recent survey in Britain, BMW drivers are officially considered to be the rudest on the road. (Although I'm sure what's considered rude in Britain would be considered totally polite in America.)
Here's how the results broke down: 56 percent of people believe owners of the BMW M3 are terrible human beings (and, most often, "smarmy businessmen"). Coming in second were Range Rover drivers, with 48 percent of people thinking they totally suck. Meanwhile, 43 percent of people said owners of Audi TT's are absolute garbage. And finally, coming in last, owners of the frequently mocked Ford Transit "white man van". 36 percent of pollers said those drivers were the worst; just the absolute worst. So, if you drive a BMW M3, Range Rover, Audi TT or a Ford Transit, you are incredibly rude, and are probably flicking somebody off or screaming an expletive out a window right now.
But strangely enough, while we're quick to judge others, we don't think we should be judged in the same manner. According to a study by One Poll, drivers are quick to assume the personality of traits of other motorists, but only one in six think they fit a stereotype associated with their vehicles. So, if you're a BMW owner, maybe you could try to break the stereotype, by letting people merge once in a while and not honking like a lunatic if you have to wait a couple seconds. And if you see a BMW owner, maybe you shouldn't judge them on the style of their car, but the content of their character. #NotAllBMWOwners.
"Whether accurate or not, the type of car we drive is seen to portray a great deal about our personality on the roads," said James Buttrick, the spokesman for Vantage Leasing, who commissioned the study. "The next time you find yourself in need of a new car, it might be worth considering the stereotype associated with each brand before making your final decision."
Well, it's a tough break for the BMW company, but maybe they should just embrace the negative stereotype. Right now their slogan is "designed for driving pleasure." They could change it to "designed for driving while in constant pain" or "designed for driving while a douchebag" or "BMW: f--k you, we don't need a slogan." Embrace the rudeness!
Since the olden days when the very first automobiles hit the roads, men have accused women of being bad drivers. It's a nasty and long-recalled stereotype that men are involved in fewer accidents and breakdowns, and are more skilled behind the wheel than their female counterparts, and quite frankly it's one that almost all women (regardless of whether or not they actually own a driver's license or not) wish that men would stop repeating ad nauseam.
Of course, there are some bad female drivers out there, just as there are bad male drivers out there: people who shouldn't rightly even attempt to play Mario Kart with their mates, let alone actually drive a car. But, logically, every demographic you can think of will inevitably have its own share of poor drivers too, and women are not notorious in that regard. The problem with the stereotype is that it relies on hearsay and anecdotal information, and usually has no basis in cold hard fact. If only there was some way we could settle the issue conclusively, and finally put the matter to bed...
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However, women drivers can now rejoice, because if the following evidence is to be believed, we may have discovered something that will finally stop anyone from uttering those same old sexist jokes and comments. It seems as though the scientific method has proven that, not only are women not worse drivers than men, but that they're actually less likely to be involved in an accident or highway mishap than your average dude is. Is this too good to be true? Or a proper godsend? Let's investigate further.
The study in question comes courtesy of price-comparison website Confused.com. They conducted a survey of the insurance details of a sample of male and female motorists, and learned that although women took a little bit longer on average to learn how to drive, but that far fewer women drivers committed offences on the road after passing their test. Not only that, but female drivers were determined to be far less likely to be involved in an accident, since women cost insurers on the whole far less when they made claims than men did.
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Furthermore, Confused.com's data showed that in 2017 more than 585,000 drivers in England and Wales were taken to court for breaking the law while driving. Of these 585,ooo cases, 79 per cent of the offenders were men. In addition to this, men also managed to outnumber women at a considerable ratio of five-to-one when it came to offences around drink-driving, and two-to-one when it came to offences like without tax or insurance.
So there you have it: next time you're in a bar and you have to listen to some guy mouthing off about women and their lack of proficiency on the road, then simply shut him up by showing him these figures instead. That'll keep him quiet all right!
As a rule, stereotypes are unhelpful. Judging somebody on an arbitrary attribute that ultimately doesn’t tell you anything about who they are is both pointless and problematic. However, as with any rule, there are exceptions.
A new study looks set to confirm everyone’s worst biases about BMW and Mercedes car drivers as research published in the Journal of International Psychology suggests that they are statistically more likely to be a**holes.
Finally, an explanation for all the tailgating, cutting off, and general d**kishness.
According to a press release accompanying the announcement: “The answers were unambiguous: self-centered men who are argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic are much more likely to own a high-status car such as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes.”
Watch As Lithuanian Mayor Crushes Parked Mercedes With Tank:
The idea for the study stemmed from lead researcher Jan-Erik Lönnqvist’s observation that drivers "most likely to run a red light, not give way to pedestrians and generally drive recklessly and too fast were often the ones driving fast German cars."
Lönnqvist’s curiosity peaked and he became determined to discover whether “wealth has a corrupting effect on people”, and the University of Helsinki Professor of Social Psychology decided to do some digging.
As he put it in an interview with Eureka Alert: "Those whose personality was deemed more disagreeable were more drawn to high-status cars. These are people who often see themselves as superior and are keen to display this to others."
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Not only did his assessment of 1,892 Finnish drivers lead him to conclude that there was a correlation, but Lönnqvist also found that "the same traits also explain why such people break traffic regulations more frequently than others."
The study also found the relationship between being an ass and owning a nice car did not apply to women.
However, it wasn’t all bad news for high-status car owners. Lönnqvist also concluded that “conscientious” people - both men and women - who are organized, ambitious, respectable, and often high-performing are also drawn to this type of vehicle. He claims this is perhaps because "by driving a reliable car they are sending out the message that they themselves are reliable."
I guess the best way to spot the difference between the two groups is by whether or not they’re speeding, cutting off pedestrians, and giving you the finger...
We've all heard of the ridiculous stereotype that women are worse drivers than men, and most people know that this is nonsense. However, a new study has just been published which has finally laid the matter to rest once and for all, and offered scientific proof that men are in fact the gender that's most likely to have an accident while behind the wheel.
The research was conducted by the British price comparisons site Confused.com. By examining the data retained by British police services through the Freedom of Information act, analysts determined that, out of approximately 600,000 motoring offences committed in England and Wales, 79 per cent were committed by men.
This percentage meant that men were four times more likely than their female counterparts to be prosecuted for speeding, running red lights, or getting into a more serious collision. In fact, male drivers outnumbered women in almost all offence categories, as well as for driving without paying tax or insurance, and drink-driving.
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Another recent study conducted by car retailer Peter Vardy, also found that that BMW drivers are most likely to speed or drive recklessly driving, while Vauxhall drivers are statistically the safest. Commenting on her findings, digital marketing manager Clare Rogan stated: "Taking proper due care and attention when behind the wheel should always be at the forefront of our minds when in control of a car, so it is surprising to see our research indicate that over half of British drivers have been penalized for driving offences."
Watch this video all about the crash of a McDonald's van carrying a pile of chicken nuggets:
She added: "Whether you have just passed your test, or have been driving for years, it is important to not allow your own perception of your driving skill to cloud your judgment."
Uber drivers have saved us on many nights out, but no matter how many rides we hitch, there's still so much we don't know about these loyal service providers. Needless to say, with transport now so readily available, Uber drivers have encountered some weird and wonderful characters. From inflatable passengers to others who've revealed a lot more of themselves (quite literally) than they expected, it's safe to say Uber drivers have seen and heard it all.
[post_page_title]Touchy-Feely Couples[/post_page_title]
A common occurrence for Uber drivers is picking up frisky couples who just can't wait to reach their destination before getting it on. One driver said that he'd picked up one amorous couple who were passionately making out for their entire journey.
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They were so caught up in the moment that a cell phone was left behind. Being a kind driver, they picked up the phone to call its owner, only to find a string of text messages and missed calls from an angry wife who was wondering where her husband was. Awkward.
[post_page_title]Homicical Riders[/post_page_title]
Many people fear that cab drivers are crazy, but few have thought about crazy riders. One Uber driver was left fearing for his life when his rider asked them a series of terrifying questions.
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These included what they'd do if they suddenly grabbed the steering wheel and drove the car into a building and how they'd react if a gun was put to their head. That driver was probably left wishing he worked for a traditional cab company.
[post_page_title]Illegal Cargo[/post_page_title]
One Uber driver found themselves in the middle of a drug deal after a rider got into their car with a backpack they were holding onto a little too tightly.
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He soon discovered that inside the bag was a marijuana plant complete with a ceramic pot. I bet they were happy when their passenger reached their destination!
[post_page_title]The Walk Of Shame[/post_page_title]
Uber drivers have encountered some pretty weird sights on the first of November. But one driver picked up an unusual pair with some very interesting costumes. A young woman who'd been dressed as Pulp Fiction's Mia Wallace and another who'd been dressed up as David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust.
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According to the driver, the former looked more like a drug addict than her character ever did in the movie and the latter resembled a Japanese prostitute in her skimpy kimono. But hey, at least they'd had a good Halloween.
[post_page_title]Unconscious Riders[/post_page_title]
One of the main advantages of Uber is that anyone can use it easily, including those who're on the verge of falling unconscious after a night out. Uber drivers have said it's one of the worst situations they, unfortunately, find themselves in on a regular basis.
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Should they call 911? Or take their rider to their destination anyway and hope that there's someone else in the house? It's not an ambulance service, after all.
[post_page_title]Throwing Up Into A Hangbag[/post_page_title]
Uber drivers get to see how well dates have gone on a regular basis. But one told us about how a seemingly promising date took a drastic turn for the worst in their car. Two women got in, having just been for what they said was a delicious meal.
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Fifteen minutes into their journey, one of them began to look a little queasy, and without saying anything, she tried (and failed) to subtly be sick into her handbag. The driver said her date looked sympathetic when they arrived at their destination. We can only hope that she didn't mind too much.
[post_page_title]An Assault[/post_page_title]
Domestic abuse is horrific, but one Uber driver became a hero when he helped a woman who was assaulted in the back of his car. The driver said he'd picked up a couple who were in the middle of a heated argument which continued for most of their journey until she was hit by her partner.
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The Uber driver pretended to continue to drive them to their destination but instead went to the nearest sheriff's office. Not all heroes wear capes.
[post_page_title]The Toilet Cab[/post_page_title]
We all know what it's like to desperately need to pee after a night out and Uber drivers have found themselves unknowingly providing a toilet service to many of their passengers.
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We spoke to drivers who told us that it wasn't uncommon for them to have to get their seats thoroughly cleaned after picking up drunk passengers who just couldn't hold it in for any longer. They could've at least asked to pull over!
[post_page_title]The Chase[/post_page_title]
It might be bad to accidentally end up with some questionable cargo in your Uber, but one driver found himself driving a man away from his angry wife who'd taken it upon herself to chase his Uber for a solid twenty minutes.
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It was a game of Grand Theft Auto that the poor Uber driver never asked to play.
[post_page_title]A Big Tip[/post_page_title]
Amidst the many horror stories revealed by Uber drivers, one got an unexpectedly large tip from a rider. It was the middle of the night and this driver was about to get a well-deserved sleep when a final request came through.
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They picked up a rider who told them that their girlfriend was in the hospital. Before arriving at their destination, the rider asked them to stop at an ATM and when he got back into the Uber handed his driver $200.
[post_page_title]The Flasher[/post_page_title]
Everyone knows that Uber drivers sometimes hear a bit too much information about their rider's personal lives, but one driver was flashed by a rider who'd forgotten she'd already paid for her journey by card.
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She told him that she didn't have enough money left after a wild night out to pay and, before the driver had a chance to say she was in an Uber, she'd flashed him. That's something that driver won't be forgetting in a hurry.
[post_page_title]The Foursome[/post_page_title]
If you thought the driver who was flashed got more than he bargained for, another heard a lot more about his rider's plans for the rest of the evening than he ever expected to when two couples came into his car.
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Like other passengers who've gotten a bit too frisky in front of their Uber drivers, these couples spent their journey planning a foursome.
[post_page_title]An Arrest[/post_page_title]
When Uber drivers get called, they have absolutely no idea who's calling them and what they've just been up to. One driver found himself in a very sticky situation when he arrived at a bowling alley that had just been robbed.
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The culprits had clearly planned on using an Uber to get away but decided against it last minute. The cops saw the Uber and handcuffed the driver thinking they were the culprit. Yikes!
[post_page_title]The Leather-Clad Rider[/post_page_title]
We've all heard stories about people engaging in wild sexual acts behind closed doors, but one Uber driver found themselves picking up a rider dressed entirely in a leather bodysuit wearing a gimp mask.
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Apparently he and his partner had just had an argument and he was kicked out before he got a chance to change out of his outfit.
[post_page_title]The Blow-Up Rider[/post_page_title]
It's not uncommon for people to call Ubers for their friends, especially on nights out. However, this Uber driver arrived to find out that they were transporting a blow-up sex doll from one location to another.
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They didn't say anything and treated her like any other passenger. Each to their own, I guess.
[post_page_title]Frisky Uber Drivers[/post_page_title]
Some Uber drivers are happy to hook up with their passengers. One even admitted to keeping condoms in his car in case any of his riders wanted to go for a different kind of ride.
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Another said that he worked as an Uber driver so that he could cheat on his wife without her questioning his whereabouts. Shady.
[post_page_title]A Driver With Many Personalities[/post_page_title]
An Uber driver can be anyone they want to be. Literally. The great thing about meeting new people all of the time is that you get a chance to constantly reinvent yourself.
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This is something that one Uber driver enjoys, admitting that when their riders ask them questions about their life, they make up different stories each time. It's a job where people can get creative.
[post_page_title]Riders In Animal Onesies[/post_page_title]
Who knows what some people hide under their onesies?
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It's one thing to pick up riders doing their Halloween walk of shame, it's another to pick up riders wearing outfits so good they can't be seen in public. One Uber driver revealed that they picked up riders in animal onesies who told them that they were going to a party but couldn't go out in public with their outfits on, so decided to hide them under onesies. The possibilities of what they were wearing underneath are endless...
[post_page_title]Don't Bring Your Kids Without A Baby Seat[/post_page_title]
Not all riders annoy their Uber drivers directly, sometimes it's the people looking after them, which is often the case with babies.
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One Uber driver explained that passengers have no right to get mad at them for declining to complete their journey if they turn up with a child but without an appropriate car seat. That's fair enough. Safety first!
[post_page_title]Or Eat In The Uber[/post_page_title]
Sure, we've all eat in cabs, but there's a line, and as is the case with everything in life, being polite will get you places.
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So, it doesn't matter how desperate you are to tick into your large cheese pizza, at least have the decency to ask your Uber driver first. It's their car, after all. And if you're polite enough to ask, they're more likely to assume you'll be considerate when eating your food - and not devour it like a hungry animal.
[post_page_title]Don't Sit In The Front If You're Not Chatting[/post_page_title]
When you get in an Uber alone, you have a choice of whether or not you sit in the front or the back.
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Don't choose the front seat if you're not willing to make small talk with the driver. Seriously. Their job is hard enough at the best of times, without you creating an awkward situation.
[post_page_title]Be At The Pickup Point[/post_page_title]
The Uber app has a pickup point for a good reason.
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Uber drivers are just trying to make a living like everyone else, which is why it's so important that you're where you said you'll be when they turn up. Otherwise, it's going to take you both longer to get from A to B.
[post_page_title]We Won't Drive Faster For You[/post_page_title]
On the subject of the length of journeys, even if you're in a rush, this is the one thing that you should never ask your Uber driver to do.
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Don't ask your driver to speed on your behalf. This is their job and any points on their license could put it at risk. Instead, manage your time better so that this situation doesn't arise in the first place.
[post_page_title]Check It's Your Uber[/post_page_title]
Ubers are called to order, but that doesn't stop impatient people from failing to check the license plate and jumping in the first car that rolls up near to them.
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This is especially the case at busy places like airports and train stations, which can create a nightmare situation for the Uber driver, whose earnings could be tied to the credit card of someone who's not even in their cab!
[post_page_title]Don't Ask About The Worst Riders[/post_page_title]
So, if you've learned anything from this list, it's this: there are a lot of awful Uber riders out there.
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But drivers don't like to think about them, least of all when they're working. So keep your curiosity to yourself when you're in their cars, and if you want your fix of terrible rider stories, just hunt down articles like this one!