Learning to drive can often be a stressful and anxious experience for anyone. Getting behind the wheel for the first time is a high-tension situation and it can be easy to feel out of place.
All sorts of things can affect how easy the process is, from safety and traffic congestion to the costs associated with things like fuel and buying a first car.
But in which countries does the lack of tolerance for stupidity stress novice drivers the most? The analysis by the specialized website zutobi has analyzed a number of factors in countries around the world to identify the most stressful countries for students.
The ranking is based on 4 factors: traffic jams, road deaths, registered vehicles and road quality rating. The maximum score is 10 points - the countries that received them have the most favorable conditions for young drivers.
Romania received a score of 2.38 out of 10 in terms of driver training. The country faces significant challenges in terms of road safety, with a road accident fatality rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people. In addition, the quality of Romania's road infrastructure is extremely low, with a score of 2.96 out of 100. The country also faces high traffic congestion at 48%, making it the most stressful environment for learner drivers. These factors contribute to the overall difficulty of driving training in Romania.
Second is Poland with a score of 2.50 out of 10. The country has a moderate number of vehicles on the road, approximately 67,100 per 100,000 people. Poland faces challenges in terms of road safety, with a road fatality rate of 6.5 per 100,000 people. The quality of Poland's roads is rated at 4.14 out of 100, and a congestion level of 36.67% further complicates driving.
Hungary also received a score of 2.86 out of 10. The quality of the country's road infrastructure is relatively low, with a score of 3.89 out of 100. Hungary has a road fatality rate of 7.4 per 100,000 people, and the country has high congestion at 46%, making driving training difficult.
Bulgaria scored 2.98 out of 10, sharing fifth place with Latvia, which scored the same number of points. In terms of traffic, we are slightly better than Romania - we have 8.4 points, but we are worse than all the countries in the ranking before us. Our roads are rated as of better quality than those of our northern neighbor - 3.52.
Congestion refers to the overcrowding of vehicles on the roads, which leads to slower speeds, longer travel times and increased vehicle queues. High levels of congestion mean that the average journey in large cities takes significantly longer than it would under free-flow conditions. This can make learning to drive particularly difficult due to the constant stop-and-go traffic, which can interfere with concentration and smooth driving.
Road safety is the number one concern for everyone, especially learners. The worst country in the ranking in terms of driver safety is Saudi Arabia, where there are 18.5 road deaths per 100,000 people per year. Road accidents remain a serious problem in Saudi Arabia.
At the other end of the ranking are the countries that are every novice driver's dream. In first place is Singapore (8.87 out of 10). Despite a moderate traffic jam of 29%, Singapore is distinguished by excellent road quality (6.45/100) and the lowest traffic accident fatality rate among the analyzed countries - only 1.9 per 100,000 people.
Sweden (8.28 out of 10). The country is characterized by a low traffic congestion rate (22%), low fatality rate (2.1 per 100,000) and good road quality (5.57/100), Sweden provides an excellent environment for novice drivers.
The Netherlands and Denmark (7.56 out of 10) are in third and fourth place respectively. Both countries offer strong road infrastructure, low fatality rates (3.4 and 2.3 per 100,000 respectively) and manageable levels of congestion.
