Sydney, Australia -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/01/2013 -- Driving is a necessary part of the lives of millions of commuters and families across Australia, and such a major part of people’s lives comes with its own particular culture and mythology. Stereotypes about women drivers, immigrants, and Sunday drivers all seem impervious to education, while stereotypes about drivers based on the car they own are also surprisingly resilient. With such a rich tapestry of prejudices and stereotypes, Private Fleet commissioned a study to get to the truth of such matters, with surprising and controversial results.
Private Fleet’s Survey collated data from more than 3,500 Australian drivers, and the responses provided illuminating insights into the myths and truths of driving stereotypes, posted in depth on the Private Fleet Blog.
Alarming results were discovered that seem to support certain stereotypes. Audi drivers were more than twice as likely to text behind the wheel when compared to Hyundai drivers, and have the worst overall driving behaviour (the best behaved drivers drive a Mitsubishi). A strong positive correlation was found between income and road rage, meaning the more money, the more aggression toward other drivers. Sydney drivers were rated the most aggressive, while women drivers came under fire.
Based on self-reported figures, women were forty percent more likely than men to be involved in an accent per kilometre driven. The alarming statistic may seem to prove a lot of bigoted opinions right, but these figures are based on self-reported admissions, and may simply reflect more dishonesty amongst men.
A spokesperson for Private Fleet explained, “This study is the first of its kind in Australia and has taken data from thousands of respondents, including colourful commentaries from drivers impassioned by the behaviour of everyone from Sydney drivers to girls with P plates to a claim that the Perth police commissioner confirmed they, in fact, had the worst drivers in Australia. While these findings are correlational and based on self-reporting, they are not entirely without merit, and if nothing more, they add fuel to the fire of impassion discussions taking place around the nation.”
About Private Fleet
Private Fleet is a boutique car buying service based in Sydney and established in 1999. The company assists over 300 Australians with their new car purchases every month. For more information, please visit: http://www.privatefleet.com.au/