Why Are BMW Drivers Seen As The Most Aggressive Drivers?

The US ranks second for aggressive driving, according to a study of drivers who rated their own countries

The car rental booking website DiscoverCars.com crunched the numbers from new research from drivers to find out which brands of cars as well as which countries are associated with aggressive driving.

Unfortunately, and perhaps to no surprise, the US placed high in those rankings.  The respondents also reveal the most annoying behavior by other drivers.

1. Not using turn signals (56%)

2. Tailgating (46%)

3. Slow driving in the passing lane (43%)

4. Distracted drivers (39%)

5. Sudden braking (20%)

Which Car Makes Are Driven By The Most Aggressive Drivers?

The car brands most associated with aggressive driving

1. 58% said aggressive behavior on the roads seemed to be by drivers of of BMW’s. A previous study also found that BMW drivers were the most likely to fail to use turn signals.

2. 30% of survey respondents named Audi.

3. In third place, 14% said Land Rovers had the most aggressive drivers.

4. 12% selected Tesla.

5. In fifth place, 11% singled out Volkswagen drivers as the most aggressive behind the wheel.

Other brands associated with aggressive driving were Mercedes (3%), Toyota (2%), and Mazda, Ford, and Volvo (1%).

Which Countries Have The Most Aggressive Drivers?

The survey also asked respondents to rate how aggressive fellow drivers in their country are on a scale of 1 (very calm) to 5 (very aggressive).

1. The worst rating goes to Italy.  23% said they experienced aggressive Italian drivers

2. Tied for second place, drivers New Zealand and the USA with New York specifically called out for bad behavior on the roads

3. The UK ranked at third place, with London cited as a problem area,  followed by a fourth-place tie between the Netherlands and France, then Canadian drivers in fifth place

Which Country Was Ranked With The Least Aggressive Driving?

The survey results show Australian drivers were the least aggressive.

Aleksandrs Buraks, at DiscoverCars.com, reminded readers that visitors should consider different driving customs and behaviors when traveling abroad.

“We found that Italy was the country that residents gave the worst rating for aggressive driving, as well as being the country that drivers from around the world associated the most with this kind of behavior on the roads. But we hope that doesn’t put you off a trip to this beautiful country! Sometimes different driving customs just take a little getting used to, such as hearing the horn a bit more often.”

CLICK for a deeper dive into the survey