An Ipsos survey unveils the poor practices of French drivers. Drivers in our region are among the worst culprits.
According to an Ipsos survey for Vinci Autoroutes, motorists in the region are far too agitated when driving. It was widely known (at least suspected) that Southerners are not great advocates of self-control at the wheel, and this study confirms it.
Ipsos carried out a survey from 1 to 4 February 2016 on a sample of 3,600 French people, with at least 300 people from each of the 12 new French administrative regions (excluding Corsica).
The study highlights the behaviour of road users based on region. And the residents of PACA hold a special place in the ranking: that of the most insulting drivers. Indeed, 7 out of 10 motorists there admit to the habit of criticising their neighbouring drivers during a traffic jam. As for their horns, nearly one in every two motorists admits to using them in an aggressive manner.
On the other hand, they are not the champions of tailgating. In this category, the title belongs to drivers in the Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou Charentes region, where 4 out of 10 drivers like to drive too closely to the cars in front of them.
The dangers of texting while driving
The survey also focusses on the increasingly frequent risky behaviours of road users.
Thus, 22% of the inhabitants of the region admit to sending texts while behind the wheel. This is slightly less than the national average: 29%, but 3% more than last year. The practice has exploded among 25-34 year-olds: 51% of them admit to sending text messages while driving.
It’s important to bear in mind that a driver is 5 times more likely to have an accident if phoning at the wheel and 20 times more if sending a text. Setting up your GPS while driving is also an increasingly common practice among motorists. 36% of people report doing so. It turns out it’s usually a male habit since it concerns 43% of men and 30% of women.
The use of connected devices while driving is increasing:
39% (+3 pts) Drivers set their GPS while driving
29% (+3 pts) Send or read SMS/emails while driving
17% (+2 pts) Report events while driving, via a Smartphone application or a driving aid tool
Knowing the dangers and the trends, French drivers should take heed and try to learn the lessons offered by the results of this Ipsos Survey, to ensure safer driving for all.
