Road rage survey: The car brands and countries most associated with aggressive driving around the world

In first place, with the dubious honor of being the type of car most people think of when they think of aggressive driving, is BMW. 58% of those surveyed said they associated this behavior most with this brand. This was also the brand of car that our research found was most likely to fail to signal in our previous research.

For 30% of survey respondents, Audi – another premium brand – was synonymous with aggressive driving. A study from 2019 suggested that people whose personalities could be described as “disagreeable” may be among those more likely to drive a luxury vehicle, which could be an explanation for why drivers of these types of cars can have such a bad reputation.

In third place, 14% of survey respondents said that they associate Land Rovers with aggressive driving. One possible reason for this could be that these cars are often quite large and imposing, meaning that behaviors like tailgating could feel even more intimidating. Land Rovers are another type of car that are often considered luxury or premium.

Next, 12% of people who answered our survey said that aggressive driving behavior made them think of Tesla. This is another type of car that can be very expensive. Tesla cars come equipped with features like Full Self Driving and blind spot monitoring – is there a possibility that over-relying on these features could be affecting the way people drive, encouraging them to pay less attention to the road?

Finally in the top five, for 11% of those surveyed, Volkswagen was synonymous with aggressive behavior on the roads. That’s only just behind Tesla, which may be surprising given that it breaks the pattern of premium vehicles having a worse reputation.

Outside the top five, the car brands most associated with aggressive driving were Mercedes (3%), Toyota and Mazda (2%), and Ford and Volvo (1%).

In our survey, we also asked people to choose which things other drivers do that frustrate them the most. Because the question was multiple choice, the total adds up to more than 100%.

Our survey found that the most irritating driver behavior was failing to use turn signals – in our previous research, we found that BMW drivers may be the most guilty of this driving sin! 56% of the people who responded to our survey felt that not using your turn signals was one of the most annoying things other drivers do. 
Next, nearly half of those surveyed, at 46%, said that tailgating was one of their pet peeves. As well as being really annoying, it can be dangerous, as a sudden brake could cause a collision.

A slightly smaller percentage said they hate it when other drivers are going too slowly in the passing lane, at 43%. When everyone uses the correct lane, it helps streamline traffic and get everyone where they need to be quicker – it also keeps drivers safe. In some countries and US states, there are laws about how to use the passing lane. For instance, in France, Germany, and the Netherlands, it’s illegal to overtake in the slow lane.

For 39% of survey respondents, one of the things that annoyed them the most was when other drivers were distracted. There are plenty of laws against distracted driving around the world, including laws specifically forbidding drivers from using their phones.

The survey also found that 20% of people said they find it very frustrating when other drivers brake suddenly. This is another behavior that’s dangerous as well as irritating, as it could lead to a collision.

Finally, 10% said it was something else that irritated them the most and added their own answers – these included speeding, aggression, and running red lights. In our previous research, we found that the United States has the highest number of cameras that check whether drivers are complying with traffic lights at 3,974, followed by Italy, where there are 2,321.

In our survey, we asked drivers to rate behavior on the roads in their country from 1 (very calm) to 5 (very aggressive). On average, people usually rated their country 3/5 – it’s noticeable how much higher some countries were rated. Only including countries rated by more than 20 people, here’s the breakdown of what people say it’s like to drive in their country.

The country which is considered by its residents to have the worst, most aggressive drivers is Italy, which attracted the highest rating, at 3.5/5. Travel forums often advise visitors to get ready for speeding, tailgating, and aggressive overtaking.

Next, New Zealand drivers gave their country 3.4/5, landing this country in second place for the most aggressive driving. New Zealanders in online conversations often highlight tailgating as a particular issue.

Tied for second place, American drivers also rated their country 3.4/5 – with some speculating online that part of the reason for the aggressive driving they’re seeing could be the fact that US infrastructure encourages driving so much that people might feel they have no choice but to drive. So even if people are tired or stressed they might find themselves behind the wheel anyway – often on what can be a long trip or commute.

Drivers in the United Kingdom rated their country 3/5 for aggressive driving, placing the UK in line with the average rating people around the world gave their countries. In some online conversations, people are wondering whether aggressive driving behavior has gotten worse in the UK after the pandemic, with driving standards dropping while lockdowns kept most people off the roads.

Australia had the best ranking from its residents for calm, non-aggressive driving. Australian drivers rated their country 2.7/5.

Next, Canadian drivers rated their country 2.8/5, only just behind Australia, suggesting that Canada’s reputation for politeness might be true in this case, as this country was considered calmer than average by drivers.

Rounding off the top three, we have two countries in a draw. France was given 2.9/5 by its residents, meaning these drivers consider their country a nicer place to drive than most of the world thinks their homes are.

And drivers in the Netherlands also gave their country 2.9/5. Perhaps the strong cycling culture in this country helps reduce aggressive driving?

We also asked drivers to say which destinations they associate most with aggressive behavior on the roads. However, it’s worth noting that some countries may have been mentioned more often than others due to there being a higher number of respondents living there or having visited.

The highest percentage of our respondents, at 23%, said they had experienced aggressive driving in Italy, which lines up with what Italian drivers said about their country, with people living here being the most likely to say they found the driving here aggressive. Naples was the second most mentioned city out of all the cities around the world, with Rome close behind in third place.

11% of our respondents said they had experienced the most aggressive driving in the UK, and London was the top-mentioned city around the world. The capital has a high concentration of people compared to the rest of the UK, and it’s easy to see how tensions might run high on these busy roads.

9% of survey respondents named the US as one of the places where they’d experienced the most aggressive driving, putting it in third place, and New York was the fifth most mentioned city.

There are two countries drawing for fourth place. 5% saying they had experienced some nasty behavior on the roads in France. Paris was also the fourth most mentioned city in the whole ranking.

And although Australia was considered by its residents to have quite calm roads, 5% of drivers from around the world said they’d experienced aggressive driving here.

Rounding off the top 5, there are two more countries in a draw. 4% of drivers said they had witnessed aggressive behavior on the roads in Spain, with the same percentage mentioning Turkey.

We hope our survey into road rage and aggressive driving has been insightful – and perhaps it confirms some suspicions you may have had about this topic, such as which car brands might have the drivers with the least chill behind the wheel!

If you are planning a trip to a country that’s been mentioned in this research as a place where you may be more likely to experience aggressive driving, don’t let this spoil your visit. Make sure you brush up on the rules of the road and local driving customs, and it should make it much easier to navigate – as well as reducing how many other drivers might find themselves moved to honk at you!