Londoners reckon they are the best drivers in the UK – believing they are the most careful in bad weather and in built-up areas.

A poll of 2,000 motorists – including private hire, food delivery, public transport, and other ‘everyday’ drivers – were scored on their driving technique and experience to determine which region thinks they are the safest drivers.

Categories included their tendency to speed, accidents for which they felt they were to blame, how often they check their mirrors and more. And motorists residing in the capital came top overall – believing they drive most safely near schools, take corners most smoothly, and, on average, rarely make a claim on their insurance.

Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands secured second and third place respectively, in the study commissioned by insurtech company Zego, https://www.zego.com/private-hire/. However, motorists in the North West got the fewest points – many confessing to failing to check their mirrors, to speeding, and to accelerating too hard. But 60 per cent of those surveyed overall believe they pay too much for their motor insurance, despite believing they are good drivers.

Sten Saar, CEO of Zego, said: “Brits are proud of their driving habits, and it is great to see so many regions scoring highly when it comes to their perceived road safety.

“It is so important to be careful on the roads and to put into practice everything we learn in our driving lessons. That said, it can also be such a shame that so many have to pay over the odds for insurance, especially when they don’t have penalties against them or any claims.

“We’re a nation that loves to be rewarded for achieving, and it’s about time good drivers were rewarded for their excellent behaviour on our roads.”

The South East came out on top for trying not to speed and the East Midlands polled the worst when it came to being at fault for accidents. The East Midlands believe they are the least likely to brake harshly and always stick to the 10-to-2
position on the steering wheel. Those in Wales are said to have had the least accidents over the past five years, averaging just two, compared to the South West who say they have had four in the same timeframe. Drivers were also quizzed on how smoothly they take corners, checking their blind spot and if
they’re cautious when driving in bad weather conditions.
London took top marks for six out of the eleven questions asked and despite coming out as the worst drivers, the North West scored a nine for rarely being at fault in accidents.

The study, carried out via OnePoll, found that 57 per cent of motorists have never been caught speeding and 36 per cent don’t have any points on their driving licence. And as road users were also quizzed about their insurance, over half (53 per cent) believe their cover should be fairer and priced based on driving behaviour. A third (33 per cent) of respondents already use a telematics-based insurance product to get a better price, while 53 per cent said they would use an app to measure their driving if it rewarded
them for safer driving.

When asked who they think are the safest type of motorists, 32 per cent of respondents said bus drivers, while 22 per cent said taxi drivers are great and 19 per cent believe delivery drivers are number one. Interestingly, despite emerging as the self-perceived best drivers, London motorists actually have
more points on their licence on average than anywhere else – three - potentially due to the increased level of traffic and congestion in the capital.

While 33 per cent were punished with points for drink driving, highlighting the importance of opting for a taxi or public transport to get home if you have been drinking alcohol.

Sten Saar of Zego, which rewards safe drivers who use their vehicle for work (such as private hire, delivery drivers and couriers) with its ‘Sense’ policy, added: “It is clear from the poll that Britain is a nation of drivers who really value safe driving, and it is no surprise that many people would prefer that their insurance is based on how they actually drive.” People haven’t forgotten all the basic rules they learnt through their theory and driving test, which
you think would naturally fade over time.“But safer driving means fewer accidents and, in turn, cheaper insurance in the long run.”


OVERALL SCORES SHOWING WHO THINKS THEY ARE BEST TO WORST DRIVERS ACROSS THE UK:

1. London – scored 96 out of 100
2. Yorkshire and the Humber – scored 79 out of 100
3. West Midlands – scored 74 out of 100
4. East Midlands – scored 71 out of 100
5. North East – scored 69 out of 100
6. Scotland – scored 66 out of 100
7. South East – scored 64 out of 100
8. East of England – scored 56 out of 100
9. Wales – scored 53 out of 100
10. South West – scored 52 out of 100
11. North West – scored 46 out of 100