A new study reveals the destinations tourists are most nervous about driving in.

Scrap Car Comparison surveyed 2,000 motorists from 10 different countries: UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Italy, and Spain.

Participants were asked to rate on a scale of 1-10 their nervousness about driving in the world’s most visited countries.

Touring times

Whether it’s a bucket list road trip or a big move to a new country, driving overseas is something many motorists face at some time in their driving life.

Even the most seasoned drivers can feel a little nervous in some regions.

India takes the top spot, averaging a ‘scare score’ of 7.15.

The only country that ranks with an average score of over seven, India is a country notorious for busy and unpredictable traffic conditions, with roads shared by cars, motorcycles, rickshaws and even livestock.

Backed up by the fact that both Bengaluru and Pune featured as two of the world’s worst cities for traffic in TomTom’s Traffic Index, it’s no surprise that this image of Indian drivers has rubbed off on the rest of the world’s road users.

Transglobal highways

Elsewhere, South American and Asian countries feature heavily in the top 10, with the likes of Venezuela, Brazil, Thailand and China all featuring.

Again, these are countries that conjure up the thoughts of heavy, confusing traffic within their key tourist destinations such as Sao Paulo and Beijing, which in fact hold records for two of the longest traffic jams in history.

As for people planning on a European road trip, countries such as Hungary, Greece and Italy give drivers the fear. 

In particular, nerves related to driving in both Greece and Italy are likely down to the high chance of having to navigate narrow ancient streets, as well as dizzying mountainous roads. 

 

The 25 Most Intimidating Nations For Drivers

Rank  Country  Scare Score (out of 10) 
1  India  7.15 
2  Venezuela  6.97 
3  Zimbabwe  6.90 
4  Morocco  6.87 
5  Thailand  6.86 
6  China  6.84 
7  Tunisia  6.79 
8  Brazil  6.71 
9  Colombia  6.71 
10  Malaysia  6.70 
11  Mexico  6.69 
12  Turkey  6.68 
13  Vietnam  6.67 
14  Chile  6.52 
15  Hungary  6.52 
16  Argentina  6.48 
17  Singapore  6.47 
18  Ecuador  6.31 
19  Japan  6.27 
20  United Arab Emirates  6.12 
21  South Africa  6.08 
22  Hong Kong  5.97 
23  Greece  5.86 
24  Italy  5.83 
25  New Zealand  5.77 

 

Taking it easy

On the other end of the scale, the Netherlands ranks as the country that drivers from around the world feel most confident about driving in, scoring just 4.41.

Known for their well-maintained roads and easy-to-understand traffic patterns, it seems the Dutch stereotype of being organised and keen planners has rubbed off on how people feel about driving in the country. 

The United Kingdom ranks as the 26th scariest nation to drive in, scoring an average of 5.71 out of a possible 10, likely due to roundabouts, one-way inner-city driving and the fact that for many visitors, driving in the UK might mean driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. 

Driving the nerves 

This is echoed by the survey’s results, which reveals that driving on the opposite side of the road is the number one reason people feel nervous about driving in another country.

With roughly 30% of the world’s countries driving on the left, such as the UK, Australia, South Africa and Hong Kong, while the rest (including the USA and most of Europe) drive on the right, there’s ample opportunity for nerves when renting or driving your car into another country. 

Tying in with the countries that ranked as those that make drivers particularly nervous, other reasons people find themselves getting anxious about driving abroad include the dangerous driving style of other motorists and the inability to understand the road signs. 

 

The Top 10 Reasons People Fear Driving Abroad

Rank  Concern  Average % Of Drivers That Have This Concern 
1  Driving on the opposite side of the road  56.2% 
2  Dangerous driving of other motorists on the road  55.9% 
3  Accidentally breaking a road law  52.7% 
4  Driving on unfamiliar roads  48.1% 
5  Not understanding the road signs  43.1% 
6  General safety e.g. car theft  33.3% 
7  Being involved in a traffic collision and not being able to communicate in the local language  29.3% 
8  Getting lost  28.6% 
9  Getting pulled over and not being able to communicate in the local language  22.2% 
10  Encountering unexpected road conditions  18.2% 

 

Proper preparation

“Driving in a new country is an exciting prospect, providing the opportunity to see new sights and enjoy more freedom, without the restrictions of public transport or guided tours,” comments David Kottaun, Operations Manager at Scrap Car Comparison.

“Understandably though, it does also result in an extra layer of nerves being added to a holiday or move abroad, with road layouts, laws and cultural differences in driving all playing a part in upping the anxiety levels. 

“The best course of action when driving in a new country is to be prepared. Our data revealed the reasons drivers can feel nervous when driving abroad, but many of these can be quelled with good research. Taking time to read into differences in road laws, researching your routes and planning in breaks can all help to ease any nerves, as can making use of navigation apps. The most important thing however, is to take it slow and account for extra driving time in your plans.  

“If, on arrival, any driver does feel like getting behind the wheel is going to be too much for them and is feeling overwhelmed by the nerves, we would always recommend the alternative of public transport. Safety should always be the priority.”