A study identifies seven types of drivers, which one are you?

If you go out on the road and observe closely, you will probably find the seven types of drivers that a study carried out by the London School of Economics and Political Science has determined exist. And this is something that can be extrapolated to any other activity in which human beings obtain results, whether in driving, at work or at school. But it is particularly in driving, that task which, when we have to carry it out out of necessity, whether to get to our workplace or not, and we spend too many hours behind the wheel, becomes a stressful and frustrating experience.

That is why the social psychologists of the London School of Economics and Political Science, together with the tyre manufacturer Goodyear, have launched a study on the social psychology of road safety. The idea is to identify how people respond when they interact with other drivers on the road, while also identifying how drivers influence the behaviour of others on the road. Through focus groups and in-depth interviews with European drivers, the study identified seven different types of drivers who often show up on the road.

The Teacher

I am sure you have all recognised the teacher in traffic. It is the one who needs to let the rest of the drivers know what they have done wrong. But he or she is not satisfied with just this, as they expect recognition for the effort of teaching others.

The ‘Know-it-all’

The name says it all. It is the driver who thinks he is surrounded by incompetents. Often, these drivers shout at others while they are protected inside their own car.

The Competitor

The competitor has to be ahead of everyone on the road and is annoyed when someone gets in his way. It is the type of driver who might accelerate shamelessly when someone tries to overtake him, with the sole aim of closing off all chances of being overtaken, and with the consequences this entails (speeding and danger from oncoming traffic).

The Punisher

Violent, rude and overbearing, this type of driver only seeks to punish other road users for any perceived bad behaviour. It is not unusual for him to get out of the car and approach other drivers directly. Unfortunately, this is a personality type that occurs quite frequently on the road.

The Philosopher

This is the type of driver who has realised that getting angry at other drivers’ mistakes achieves nothing positive. According to the study, the philosopher accepts bad behaviour and tries to explain it rationally. More importantly, this driver manages to control his feelings in the car.

The Avoider

This personality type may be closely related to the previous one, the philosopher. The avoider treats the bad habits of other road users impersonally and dismisses them as a threat.

The Escapist

Finally, the escapist is the type of driver who uses distractions such as listening to music or talking on the phone to isolate himself or herself from other drivers. They are able to use this technique with the sole purpose of not getting frustrated in the first place and avoiding any confrontation.

Source | CarScoops