New easyCar driving report: USA is best, South Africa is worst
posted: Nov 17, 2006
With its oversized cars, hellish traffic and litigious drivers, the USA may seem like an unlikely contender for the UK’s number one drive, however, from Paris to Perth, it has completely over-taken its rivals.
easyCar.com’s World Driving Report 2006 reveals the USA is the clear favourite to drive through, followed by Canada and Australia. Conversely, the world’s most challenging countries to drive in are Portugal, Italy and South Africa – the latter being the world’s least favourite.
The study of almost 2,000 drivers found that South Africa is home to the rudest drivers, with half (50 per cent) of British tourists experiencing bad roadside manners there – more than double that of any other country. The people of Portugal (19 per cent) also need to watch their ps and qs, appearing second in the list, while the French came in third (18 per cent).
The Netherlands and Ireland boast the most courteous drivers with 58 per cent and 54 per cent respectively finding them polite.
With an astonishing nine million Brits driving abroad each year, leading car hire specialist, easyCar.com, thought it time to lift the bonnet on driving abroad. The World Driving Report 2006 is the most comprehensive study of its kind and investigates the most popular motoring destinations, their rules, regulations and driving cultures.
Congestion is greatest in the Netherlands with 65 per cent of British holidaymakers experiencing traffic there. Italy meanwhile is parked in second with 61 per cent noting the high number of hold-ups and bottlenecks.
Spain suffers the most road accidents, reveals the report, followed by South Africa which is also accused of having the most reckless drivers (75 per cent). The safest roads on the other hand can be found in Australia (44 per cent) and Switzerland (43 per cent).
Les rues of France are considered the smoothest (62 per cent) while the cliché of the cobbled Irish street still rings true - the roads of Ireland slammed as the roughest (66 per cent) in the world.
Those who like to drive a hard bargain should head to the USA or Australia as they offer the lowest petrol prices - all under half the price of UK petrol. Meanwhile, Spain, Cyprus and Malta boast the cheapest car hire.
Over three fifths (62 per cent) of Britons felt that they had seen and done far more on holiday through booking a car. Two fifths (41 per cent) meanwhile felt that driving actually renders a trip more relaxing. This sense of relaxation however clearly depends on the nation as a further 42 per cent found driving in Italy stressful, 36 per cent felt tense on Portuguese roads and almost a third (30 per cent) lost their rag speeding through Spain.
Less kind on the wallet is the Republic of Ireland who dish out more parking fines than anywhere else, while Italian police are the most likely to pull drivers over.
If you’re looking for a decent toilet break, Canada should be your first stop as it boasts the best roadside services around (53 per cent). Those fond of their hygiene meanwhile should avoid Greece (35 per cent) who suffer the worst services in the world.
easyGroup Chairman, Stelios, said: "I was personally surprised to see so many disparities between countries – but variety is the spice of life. The USA scores well across many of the league tables but every country has something special to offer – if you want speed, head to Germany. If you like your space, cruise through Australia and if you want friendly drivers, hit Holland. With renting a car abroad so affordable now, there’s no excuse for not giving it a go."
To download your free copy of the easyCar World Driving Report, go to www.easyCar.com or... click HERE |
