Where Do the World’s Best Drivers Live? Hint: It’s Not in the U.S.

Shocking to nobody, American perceptions of their own motoring skills differ from the views of the rest of the planet.

byKate Gibson|
Where Do the World’s Best Drivers Live? Hint: It’s Not in the U.S.
Share

0

Germans are the best drivers in the world, and Americans are the worst.

That's the collective perception, at least, of 500 Americans and 500 global citizens who took part in a recent survey commissioned by Driving-tests.org, an online educator.

In a ranking of countries viewed as having the best drivers, nearly 20 percent of non-Americans picked Germany, which also drew the endorsement of 8.7 percent of U.S. respondents.

The second best, perception-wise, is the United States, thanks to the view of, well Americans, nearly 15, or 14.9, percent of whom chose the U.S. as the country with the best motoring skills. A full 2.3 percent of non-Americans concurred.

Americans and non-Americans held more similar views of driving abilities in the United Kingdom, which placed third with the backing of 3.9 percent of the latter and 4.2 percent of the former.

The findings yielded a warm view by Americans of drivers in neighboring Canada, which garnered a 6.3 percent backing from those surveyed in the U.S., and a smaller, 1.2 percent endorsement from the rest of the globe.

Drivers in Sweden held the esteem of 4.4 percent of non-Americans and 1.6 percent of Americans polled, giving it a fifth-place spot. Switzerland followed, selected by 2.4 percent of non-Americans and 1.8 percent of Americans. Australia placed seventh, drawing 0.9 percent of international respondents and 2.4 percent of American; Japan came in next, with support from 0.2 percent polled outside the U.S. and 2.5 percent of Americans.

Americans thought more of French driving skills than the rest of the planet, it seems, as France placed ninth, supported by 0.9 percent of non-Americans and 1.4 percent of U.S. respondents.

Finland landed in the tenth spot, as 1.6 percent of the global citizens surveyed listed the country as the best for driving skills and 0.6 percent of Americans saying the same.

As for the world's worst drivers, the United States topped the list, thanks to the views of 16.4 percent of American respondents, and a mere 1.6 percent of the global audience. Which nation has the worst drivers in the eyes of non-U.S. respondents? India, which ranked as the worst by 8.2 percent of those living outside the U.S. Americans also held a dim view of Indian driving skills, with 5.6 percent of the Americans surveyed listing India as the worst. 

stripe