Our attitudes towards other drivers are shaped in part by factors including the type of car they drive and their age, according to a survey by the AA.
In an AA-Populus poll of more than 17,000 motorists conducted in December 2103, one fifth of respondents said they are more likely to ‘give way’ to classic or old/unusual cars such as 2CVs, Beetles and Escorts. Conversely, one in five respondents said they are less likely to give way to a 4×4 or expensive luxury car.
Some 5% of respondents said that they try to slow down ‘boy racers’ by driving more slowly if the driver behind is wearing a baseball cap, with males are twice as likely as females to act in this manner.
Almost half of respondents (47%) said they would leave more space in front when following an elderly driver. Interestingly, the survey suggests that younger drivers and those living in the southeast and southwest are most likely to give more space.
19% of respondents admitted to getting impatient when following learner drivers, with young drivers and women most likely to display this trait.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “There are lots of urban myths about car hierarchies that we wanted to test. The research shows that some drivers are more considerate to others depending on the type of car or type of driver. It seems that a trilby wearing driver in a classic car will be given more slack than one wearing a baseball cap in a sports car or 4×4.
“Perhaps the most worrying trait is that 19% of drivers and one third of young drivers get impatient with learner drivers. Younger drivers, in particular, should have recent memories of what it was like driving with L plates.”
Click here to read the full AA news release.
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