Study Examines Qualities of Good Driving
When asked whether it's better to be passive or aggressive behind the wheel, 74% of women and 69% of men — or a total of 71% of U.S. drivers — believe passive driving is safest, according to a recent survey by Quoted.
According to a new survey, 74% of women and 69% of men say they use passive, rather than aggressive, driving.
Photo via State Farm/Flickr.
When asked whether it's better to be passive or aggressive behind the wheel, 74% of women and 69% of men — or a total of 71% of U.S. drivers — believe passive driving is safest, according to a recent survey by Quoted.
While often stereotyped as more aggressive drivers, men made up the majority of the vote for "passive" driving (56%) versus 44% for women.
The survey explores what qualities Americans believe make for a "good driver." The findings indicate that, ultimately, good driving is all about being safe on the road.
Age also played a role in views on passive versus aggressive driving. Not surprisingly, seniors prefer passive driving with 86% of drivers aged 65 or older claiming passive driving makes for a good driver.
The 55-to-64 age group also voted overwhelmingly (77%) for passive driving. Interestingly, the majority of drivers (68%) in the youngest age group (18 to 24) also favored passive driving.
Only the 45-to-54 age group of middle-aged drivers were the least likely (64%) to prefer passive driving, and the most likely to favor aggressive driving.
Geography also has an influence on driving behavior, according to the survey findings. For example, drivers in the Midwest are most likely to be drawn to passive driving behavior — with 73% of individuals in the region voting for passive driving.
When it comes to aggressive driving, Southerners lead the way. Some 33% of Southern drivers opted for aggressive driving as the best way to approach the road. Northeastern drivers ranked second with 28% favoring aggressive driving, while just 27% of both Western and Midwestern drivers opted for an aggressive approach to driving.
Based on the survey results, the majority of U.S. drivers think passive driving is safest, with some small variations in opinion between regions, genders, and ages. Moreover, most American drivers said experience is the most important trait involved in good driving habits, an opinion that held true across state lines.
Read the full report on good driving behaviors.
Related: States with Safest Fleet Drivers Ranked
More Safety
Ram Recalls More Than 1.27 Million 1500 Pickups for Seat Belt Anchor Issue
The recall affects certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 pickups that may have improperly attached second-row seat belt buckle anchors.
Read More →
Top 50 Executive Fleets
It is that time of year again! Time for the 2026 list of the Top 50 Executive Fleets, presented by Automotive Fleet and Volvo as part of its annual Fleet 500. Download now to see this year's list of companies!
Read More →
How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%
Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.
Read More →
Operation Safe Driver Week: Why the Industry's Oldest Safety Campaign Still Matters to Fleets
A look at how a 2007 enforcement initiative became one of the most consequential weeks on the fleet safety calendar, and what it means for your drivers in 2026.
Read More →
Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset
Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.
Read More →
From Silos to Solutions: Relationship Management for Safer Fleets
From telematics adoption and driver accountability to policy consistency and risk mitigation, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a safer fleet culture without slowing business down.
Read More →
IIHS Launches First Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun evaluating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans for driver protection. Which models earned top marks?
Read More →
Reducing Risk by Eliminating Phone Use Behind the Wheel
Hosted with the cofounder of Lifesaver Mobile, this episode addresses phone use behind the wheel and how to design a driving environment that actually helps prevents accidents.
Read More →
Cameras, Safety and Insurance: From Reactive Claims to Real-Time Prevention (Part 2 of 2)
Part Two: Commercial auto remains one of the most challenging and costly lines of coverage for fleet operators and insurers alike. Continue learning more about how to effectively address these issues from Onur Aksan, Enterprise Business Development Executive, Geotab
Read More →
How 5-Second Telematics Data Is Changing Fleet Safety
This episode connects with Steve Santostasi of Ford Pro and covers how a few seconds of data can make a difference in fleet safety.
Read More →