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Everyone thinks they’re an above-average driver 

On Behalf of | Oct 7, 2024 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

It’s very interesting to ask people to rate their own ability to drive. If you ask them if they are above average or below average, odds are they will say that they are better than the norm. According to one report, 80% of respondents claimed that their driving skills were above average, while less than one percent said that they were below average. 

Of course, this is impossible. Mathematically speaking, 80% of people cannot be better than average at driving. So, what the study really does is demonstrate how people overestimate their own abilities and assume that they are much more proficient and skilled than they really are.

Why does this happen?

According to psychologists, many people are prone to this type of thinking in general. It’s not just driving. If you ask them about any skills or abilities, they would generally assume that they were better than average. This may not be true for very specific abilities – someone who doesn’t know how to play the guitar would likely not claim to be above average – but they generally think they’re above average as they navigate their daily lives.

But this can lead to a dangerous type of overconfidence. Would this type of driver be more likely to tailgate, thinking that their skills are so good that they don’t need to keep a proper following distance? Would they be more likely to drive aggressively, believing that they are not the type of person who is going to cause an accident? Would they count on their “above average” skills to the point that they would intentionally do dangerous things, like texting and driving?

If you get injured in an accident with one of these overconfident drivers, take the time to carefully consider your legal options to seek compensation.