How dangerous is driving in South Africa? New survey confirms: ‘Very’
How does driving in South Africa stack up against other countries in terms of fear factor? As expected, a recent survey confirms it’s quite high. Here’s what makes it so daunting…
Just how intimidating is driving in South Africa? An online survey of over 2,000 drivers ranks South Africa 21st out of 25 countries assessed. Or in other terms, if one is not scary at all and 10 is like driving through the end of days, South Africa is a 6 out of 10, reports Business Tech.
Specifically, the UK-derived survey from Scrap Car Comparison wanted to know which is the most anxiety-inducing country for drivers. And it drew findings from diverse backgrounds like Australia, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and USA. Encouragingly, while South African driving standards are by no means the best globally, according to the survey, there are twenty worse countries to drive in at least. And we’ll rank them now …
HOW SCARY IS DRIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA?
| 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 | 6.60 |
| 15. | Hungary | 6.52 |
| 16. | Argentina | 6.48 |
| 17. | Singapore | 6.47 |
| 18. | Ecuador | 6.31 |
| 19. | Japan | 6.27 |
| 20. | UAE | 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 |
*data from Scrap Car Comparison
WHY ARE PEOPLE NERVOUS DRIVERS?
Just as interesting as how scary is driving in South Africa is the reasoning behind why drivers feel anxious on the roads. Those surveyed said chaotic roads like India with lots of cars, motorbikes, pedestrians and animals creates anxiety. A nation’s driving culture – like lots of hooting and other unique road etiquette plays a role, too.
Many of the countries listed are emerging and therefore suffer from poverty, sections of underdeveloped road network through informal or rural areas. These conditions can make for a daunting driving experience if you’re not familiar with them.
TELL US ABOUT THE WORST NATIONS
Accordingly, Venezuelan traffic laws are only loosely enforced, leading to erratic driving from locals. Zimbabwe’s roads are in poor condition and require extra care to navigate. Plus, there are frequent traffic checkpoints and demands for bribes, says the survey. While on the other end of the scale, the Netherlands (not listed) has the lowest ‘scare score’ of all at just 4.71 out of 10. It is praised for its high-quality roads and courteous drivers.