Desirable Driving Habits

Which driving manoeuvres do people find the most impressive?

Being able to drive and owning a car could be seen as a way to make yourself more attractive, as it opens up the possibility of providing, travelling, and sometimes even showing off your driving skills. Whether you are looking for your first car, or busy sorting car finance for your dream car, you will still have to show that you’re able to drive.

But which driving skills do people find themselves most attracted to? By surveying members of the British public, we’ve discovered which driving manoeuvres and habits are the sexiest. From slow speed manoeuvres such as parallel parking to mashing your foot to the floor and pretending you’re Lewis Hamilton, driving skills can be found in lots of different situations on the road.

While performing feats of incredible driving may be attractive, it is important to remember the importance of staying safe and not endangering yourself, passengers, or other road users whilst performing them.

The most attractive driving manoeuvres

Which driving manoeuvres do people find the most impressive?

The most attractive driving manoeuvres

1. Parallel parking, 60% of responses:

By far the most attractive driving skill is the ability to parallel park, with just over 60% of the British public voting for it. Pulling off a parallel park in a tight spot can be a risky manoeuvre, as the drive of shame after failure can be extremely embarrassing. Many people actively avoid parallel parking due to the stress involved, but perhaps more will attempt it knowing how attractive it can be.

Parallel Parking Tips:

Know your vehicle dimensions and make sure the space is big enough for you to fit in, pull alongside and indicate prior to making the turn.
Edge forward until the centre of your passenger window is in line with the front of the car in front of the space.
Check your mirrors and blind spot, then slowly reverse looking over your shoulder through the rear window.
Line up your rear wheels with the back bumper of the car in front before you turn into the space.
Turn the wheel to the left, watch the road as the front of your car will swing out into the middle. Slowly reverse using the nearside mirror to watch the curb and the rear-view mirror to see behind you.
Once you are clear of the car in front and can see the curb in the mirror it is time to turn the wheel right.
Using full lock, turn right and continue reversing to bring the front of the car into the space, it is important to steer fast but reverse slowly.
Straighten up in the space before applying the handbrake and stopping.

2. Three-point turn, 19% of the vote:

The second most attractive manoeuvre is the three-point turn which received 19% of the vote. When stuck going the wrong way down a narrow street, the three-point turn is an effective way to get back on the right track. Making sure it is a three-point turn and no more is essential to pulling off this skill, to successfully perform it you must:

Choose the best place to perform the turn, this should be the widest part of the road away from junctions and parked cars.
Pull over to the left-hand curb so that you have as much room as possible to perform the manoeuvre, check your mirrors and blind spot before turning.
Indicate right and turn your wheel fully right, meanwhile accelerate gently until you are around a metre from the right curb.
Turn the wheel fully left whilst slowly reversing back across the road, until you have enough room to drive out forward.
Engage first gear and move off down the street in the opposite direction to how you arrived.

3. Reverse parking (with an arm on the passenger seat), 15% of the vote:

While performing your manoeuvres it is important to do them with style, and 15% of the public think that reversing with one arm on the passenger seat is incredibly attractive. The benefit of reversing in this style is that you get a better angle to use the back window as a windscreen and can therefore keep the car in a straight line.

Which manoeuvres do different age groups prefer?

The majority of people answering the survey were aged between 25 and 54, with the three age groups within this range being the largest.

The age group that had the highest proportion of the vote in favour of parallel parking was the 45-54 year olds with 12%, whereas younger people found reversing with a hand on the passenger seat more attractive, as they made up the biggest section of votes for this manoeuvre. Younger people also found overtaking another car the most attractive, although this category was the lowest scoring overall.

Which manoeuvres do men or women find more attractive?

1. Parallel parking, 60% of responses:

Parallel Parking Tips:

Know your vehicle dimensions and make sure the space is big enough for you to fit in, pull alongside and indicate prior to making the turn.
Edge forward until the centre of your passenger window is in line with the front of the car in front of the space.
Check your mirrors and blind spot, then slowly reverse looking over your shoulder through the rear window.
Line up your rear wheels with the back bumper of the car in front before you turn into the space.
Turn the wheel to the left, watch the road as the front of your car will swing out into the middle. Slowly reverse using the nearside mirror to watch the curb and the rear-view mirror to see behind you.
Once you are clear of the car in front and can see the curb in the mirror it is time to turn the wheel right.
Using full lock, turn right and continue reversing to bring the front of the car into the space, it is important to steer fast but reverse slowly.
Straighten up in the space before applying the handbrake and stopping.

2. Three-point turn, 19% of the vote:

Choose the best place to perform the turn, this should be the widest part of the road away from junctions and parked cars.
Pull over to the left-hand curb so that you have as much room as possible to perform the manoeuvre, check your mirrors and blind spot before turning.
Indicate right and turn your wheel fully right, meanwhile accelerate gently until you are around a metre from the right curb.
Turn the wheel fully left whilst slowly reversing back across the road, until you have enough room to drive out forward.
Engage first gear and move off down the street in the opposite direction to how you arrived.

3. Reverse parking (with an arm on the passenger seat), 15% of the vote:

Which manoeuvres do different age groups prefer?

The majority of people answering the survey were aged between 25 and 54, with the three age groups within this range being the largest.

Which manoeuvres do men or women find more attractive?

Women find both parallel parking and reversing with an arm on the passenger seat more attractive than men do, as both of these actions often take place at the same time then it is apparent that the reverse park action is more attractive for women. Meanwhile, they do not find overtaking at all attractive, as only around 4% of women voted for this manoeuvre, contrastingly 8% of men voted for the same option.

The most attractive driving habits

1. Having a clean car, 47.41% of responses:

Having a clean car is the habit that most people find most attractive in a driver, with almost half of the responses being in favour of this option. A clean car is a sign of structure and organisation in a person’s life, if they take care of their car they could also take care of a partner.

2. Driving cautiously, 37.31% of responses:

Safety is clearly attractive to many people, as driving cautiously is the second most attractive driving habit with just over 37% of the vote. Making sure the person you are trying to impress isn’t scared for their life by your driving is clearly important.

3. Driving fast, 7.74% of responses:

Conversely driving fast only achieved a comparatively measly percentage of the vote, with just under 8% choosing it as the most attractive driving habit. The late Formula 1 world champion James Hunt, was regarded as something as a playboy in his time, and was famous for his catchphrase “sex, breakfast of champions’. Hunt also believed that women were more attracted to racing drivers because “the closer you are to death, the more alive you feel and the more alive you are”, however almost fifty years later it would appear that the opposite is more attractive in drivers.

What habits do different age groups prefer?

Of the 47% of people who voted for the clean car habit, the majority were 25-34 year olds, therefore young people clearly prioritised cleanliness over anything. Moreover, the 18-24 year olds agreed with 8.79% of them also deciding that a clean car was the most attractive habit.

Older age groups tended to find driving cautiously the more attractive driving habit as a higher percentage of both the 55-64 age group, and the over 65’s voted for that habit more than any other.

Which habits do men or women find more attractive?

1. Having a clean car, 47.41% of responses:

2. Driving cautiously, 37.31% of responses:

3. Driving fast, 7.74% of responses:

What habits do different age groups prefer?

Older age groups tended to find driving cautiously the more attractive driving habit as a higher percentage of both the 55-64 age group, and the over 65’s voted for that habit more than any other.

Which habits do men or women find more attractive?

Women find a clean car more attractive than men, as 49.6% voted it as the most attractive habit compared to 45.2% of men. Only 36.2% of males find driving cautiously to be the most attractive habit compared to 38.5% of females. On the other hand, many more men find driving fast attractive. 9.5% of men found it the most attractive, compared to 5.9% of females

The most attractive cars

1. Audi, 15.58% of responses:

The car most attractive to people is an Audi, as the German manufacturer received 15.58% of the vote. This is almost 10% higher than Ford, which was the fourth most voted for individual brand.

2. None, 9.95% of responses:

The particular type of car someone drives has no impact on their attractiveness according to almost 10% of the British public. Other than Audi, this is a higher proportion than any car maker received.

3. BMW, 9.17% of responses:

The second most attractive car brand is BMW, which received 9.17% of the vote. BMW produces some of the most popular models of cars in the country and as such, there are many people out there who seem more attractive.

Which car brands do men or women find more attractive?

1. Audi, 15.58% of responses:

The car most attractive to people is an Audi, as the German manufacturer received 15.58% of the vote. This is almost 10% higher than Ford, which was the fourth most voted for individual brand.

2. None, 9.95% of responses:

3. BMW, 9.17% of responses:

Which car brands do men or women find more attractive?

Females find German made cars more attractive than men do, as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes all have more female votes than male. 14.73% of women voted for Audi being the most attractive, compared to just 13.56% of men.

Methodology

A survey was sent to 2,000 British people asking the questions: “Which of these driving manoeuvres do you find the most impressive?” “Which of these driving habits do you find the most attractive?” “Which make of car do you think makes a driver more attractive?”.
The options were voted on and weighted responses returned as percentages and raw numbers.
The results were broken down by different age groups and by gender.

Methodology

A survey was sent to 2,000 British people asking the questions: “Which of these driving manoeuvres do you find the most impressive?” “Which of these driving habits do you find the most attractive?” “Which make of car do you think makes a driver more attractive?”.
The options were voted on and weighted responses returned as percentages and raw numbers.
The results were broken down by different age groups and by gender.

Desirable Driving Habits

Which driving manoeuvres do people find the most impressive?

The most attractive driving manoeuvres

Which driving manoeuvres do people find the most impressive?

The most attractive driving manoeuvres

Which manoeuvres do different age groups prefer?

Which manoeuvres do men or women find more attractive?

Which manoeuvres do different age groups prefer?

Which manoeuvres do men or women find more attractive?

The most attractive driving habits

The most attractive driving habits

What habits do different age groups prefer?

Which habits do men or women find more attractive?

What habits do different age groups prefer?

Which habits do men or women find more attractive?

The most attractive cars

The most attractive cars

Which car brands do men or women find more attractive?

Which car brands do men or women find more attractive?

Methodology

Methodology

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Desirable Driving Habits

Which driving manoeuvres do people find the most impressive?

The most attractive driving manoeuvres

Which driving manoeuvres do people find the most impressive?

The most attractive driving manoeuvres

Which manoeuvres do different age groups prefer?

Which manoeuvres do men or women find more attractive?

Which manoeuvres do different age groups prefer?

Which manoeuvres do men or women find more attractive?

The most attractive driving habits

The most attractive driving habits

What habits do different age groups prefer?

Which habits do men or women find more attractive?

What habits do different age groups prefer?

Which habits do men or women find more attractive?

The most attractive cars

The most attractive cars

Which car brands do men or women find more attractive?

Which car brands do men or women find more attractive?

Methodology

Methodology

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