Driver Annoyances Study: It’s Not Me, It’s You
You're the problem
Summer road trips are a chance to escape the daily grind, see new places . . . and suffer through the infuriating driving of others.
We can be our own harshest critics, but not when it comes to driving. People generally view others' driving as worse than their own, according to a survey of more than 2,000 drivers commissioned by EverQuote. While 2% of people judged themselves to be "terrible" drivers, most view their own driving as much better than others. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best, people rated their driving an average of 8.1 and rated others an average of 6.4.
People are most annoyed by drivers who speed and use their phones, according to survey results. These ranked as top annoyances, along with cutting in, not signaling turns and braking too fast.
What annoys you most about other people's driving?
| Speeding | 39% |
| On the phone while driving | 35% |
| Cutting in | 29% |
| Not signaling turns | 28% |
| Braking too fast | 28% |
| Swerving into other lanes | 23% |
| Running red lights & stop signs | 21% |
| Won't let others merge | 16% |
| Driving too slowly in the passing lane | 15% |
| Honking | 4% |
| Other | 2% |
| None of the above | 1% |
| Source: EverQuote, based on a survey of 2,252 licensed drivers. Respondents could choose up to three answers. | |
Speeding and phone use while driving
There are plenty of opportunities to be annoyed on the road. Speeding and using the phone while driving are frequent problems, based on data from EverQuote's 2018 Safe Driving Report. We analyzed 781 million miles of driving data collected through our safe-driving app, EverDrive. Speeding or phone use happen on more than one-third of trips.
Here are the percent of trips nationwide that involve unsafe driving:
- Speeding: 38%
- Phone use: 37%
- Hard braking: 23%
- Acceleration: 14%
- Hard turning: 11%
What annoys you most about driving in the city/town where you live?
We asked people what annoys them most about driving in the town or city where they live. Other people's driving and traffic topped the list, with over half of drivers citing each as a big frustration. Road conditions were picked as a major annoyance by about a third of drivers.
The most annoying problems
| The way others drive | 51% |
| Traffic congestion | 51% |
| Road conditions, potholes & cracks | 34% |
| Lack of parking | 21% |
| Expense of parking | 14% |
| The weather | 12% |
| Car theft, car break-ins and/or vandalism | 5% |
| Bicyclists | 5% |
| Pedestrians | 3% |
| None of the above | 3% |
| Other | 2% |
| Source: EverQuote, based on a survey of 2,252 licensed drivers. Respondents could choose up to three answers. | |
It makes you want to pack up and move
Traffic congestion can even affect where you want to live. Almost half of drivers we surveyed say they've considered moving simply because of traffic in their town or city.
The insurance costs of accidents and tickets
Unsafe driving can lead to car accidents and tickets, both of which can spark a car insurance rate increase when your policy is up for renewal. Bad driving becomes an expensive habit if you're hit with an insurance increase of at least 30% -- that's typically what you can expect, based on EverQuote's analysis of premiums paid by drivers with clean records compared to those with a ticket or accident.
Here are average insurance increases in large states.
| State
(click to see more about auto insurance rates in the state) | Insurance increase with an accident | Insurance increase with a speeding ticket |
|---|---|---|
| California | 50% | 51% |
| Florida | 34% | 29% |
| Texas | 33% | 31% |
| New York | 29% | 35% |
| Pennsylvania | 34% | 31% |
| Illinois | 32% | 26% |
| Ohio | 47% | 38% |
| Georgia | 41% | 33% |
| Source: EverQuote. We averaged premiums reported by EverQuote users, based on policies with bodily injury liability coverage of $100,000 in bodily injury per person and $300,000 in bodily injury per accident (known as 100/300). Rates are based on one driver insuring one vehicle. We used premiums for sedans, coupes and hatchbacks. Premiums are based on expenditures reported between Jan. 1, 2016, and April 1, 2018. Your own rates will be different. | ||
Whether you have a clean record or one with tickets and accidents, you can potentially save hundreds of dollars by comparison shopping. Because rates often vary considerably among insurers for the exact same coverage, you won't know if you're getting a good deal unless you shop around.
In the same survey we also asked drivers if they had any regrets from the last time they shopped for auto insurance. While 40% had no regrets, 42% said they wished they had shopped around for prices more.
Survey methodology: EverQuote commissioned a survey of 2,252 licensed drivers nationwide in March 2018. Respondents were age 18 or older and had car insurance.
Posted July 12, 2018