Italians' Driving 'Worst In Europe'

• News
• Published: 29 Jun 2009 in Motoring and Car Insurance

Italians are the worst drivers in Europe, closely followed by the French, according to a survey of British motorists.

Research from TripAdvisor found more than 30% Britons thought the biggest challenge of motoring abroad was having to deal with local driving habits.

With 35% of UK drivers wary of driving abroad, many said it was good sense to check whether their car insurance covered them for driving overseas.

And this is sage advice as of the 819 British travellers polled, 45% had misread a map and got lost, 38% had argued with their partner while at the wheel and 11% had lost their temper with other drivers while on foreign roads.

Following the Italians and French, the Greeks were voted the third worst drivers in Europe, with motorists in Turkey, Spain and Portugal coming in fourth, fifth and sixth. Those polled put British drivers as seventh-worst.

TripAdvisor spokesman Luke Fredberg said: "Hitting the open road can be one of the most rewarding and cost-effective ways of exploring a new destination, but some travellers find the notion of a relaxing road trip vanishes as soon as they encounter unfamiliar driving laws and styles."