Italy ranks first globally for aggressive driving behavior, with 23 percent of surveyed motorists reporting reckless maneuvers, according to data released in August 2026 by the rental car platform Discovercars.com. The findings highlight persistent friction on European and international roadways, driven primarily by failures to signal turns and aggressive tailgating.
Global Rankings on Aggressive Driving
According to the Discovercars.com survey, Italy leads the international index for aggressive driving habits, followed closely by the United Kingdom. Despite its reputation for scenic landscapes, 11 Prozent of drivers surveyed in the UK reported experiencing aggressive behavior on the road, with London cited as a primary hotspot.
The United States follows in third place at 9 Prozent, while France and Australia each recorded 5 Prozent. Spain and Turkey share the fifth position, with 4 Prozent of respondents noting high levels of driver aggression in those nations.
Primary Driver Frustrations
When asked about specific behaviors that trigger road frustration, respondents pointed overwhelmingly to communication failures behind the wheel:
- 56 Prozent of motorists are most annoyed by drivers who fail to signal when turning.
- 46 Prozent cited close tailgating as a major disruption.
- 43 Prozent expressed frustration with slow driving on the overtaking lane.
- 20 Prozent objected to abrupt braking maneuvers.
General Politeness and Self-Assessment
Beyond the roadway, broader social manners paint a varied picture of international courtesy. According to a separate study by financial services provider Remitly cited in the reporting, Italy ranked 24th out of 25 countries for overall politeness, outranking only Austria at the bottom of the list.
Japan secured the top spot globally for manners, anchored by cultural traditions of respect. Canada and the United Kingdom rounded out the top three in the Remitly survey.
When participants evaluated their own courtesy on a scale of up to 10 points:
- Respondents in Brazil and Chile reported the highest self-assessed scores at an average of 9.46 points.
- India followed closely with 9.41 points.
- Sweden and France both recorded self-assessments of 9.40 points.
- Japan’s participants offered a comparatively modest self-evaluation of 8.73 points.