Top 10 worst drivers on the road

Insurance stats reveal who to avoid…

Top 10 worst drivers on the road

It’s one of the standard questions whenever you apply for car or bike insurance: 'What’s your profession?' But does it really make a difference?

Well, it seems that it does, and not in the way you might expect. For years insurers have asked that same question and for just as long we’ve all answered, not knowing whether our reply is about to send our premiums through the roof or slash them in half.

Now, though, data from across the British insurance industry has been analysed by car insurer 1st Central to come up with a list of the best and worst car drivers on the roads, in terms of their profession.

Yes, it’s a clear grab for publicity and no, there isn’t a detailed breakdown of the statistics to check how the conclusions have been reached. But since insurers work on analysing risks, we’re prepared to give them a pass on that and assume that it’s been done properly. What we do know is that the list is based on the number of car insurance claims each of these professions made.

So if you’re out riding, these are the professions of the drivers most likely to knock you off – and they’re not the ones we would have expected.

10. Train driver

Not the most comforting news for anyone using the rail network on a regular basis, apparently train drivers are the tenth-worst car drivers in terms of accidents. Presumably it’s that whole ‘steering’ thing that throws them…

9. Pharmacist

As we’ll see, this list is packed with seemingly responsible, sober professions. We wouldn’t have guessed that pharmacists would, on the whole, pose much of a danger on the road. Turns out we’d be wrong as it’s the ninth worst profession in terms of insurance claims. 

8. IT manager

Another profession with a straight-laced reputation that seems to be ill-gained is IT, with those introspective computer chaps hitting eighth on the list. Maybe they need to let their eyes adjust to the sunlight before driving off.

7. Bank manager

Bank managers have never been the most loved of professions. Rarely do you hear anyone speak with joy about a meeting with their bank manager, and it seems that you don’t want to meet them on the road either. Can they control finances better than they control vehicles?

6. Airline cabin crew

This one comes as less of a surprise. Can you imagine trying to keep airline passengers happy for a living? Given that normally-rational people can be driven into state of near-murderous rage by the sheer tedium of trying to navigate airport procedures before being left to fester for hours before they can ever board their flights, cabin crew rarely get to see any of us at our best. So perhaps it makes sense that they would relieve their frustrations on the roads.

5. Letting agent

Hmmm. The case for letting agents just doesn’t get any rosier, does it?

4. Financial advisor

Here’s some financial advice: learn to drive better and you’ll have lower insurance premiums. Or is it that these guys are able to afford cars that are beyond their abilities?

3. Doctor

You might have thought that doctors, seeing the results of road accidents on a daily basis, might take a little more care not to get involved in them themselves. Of course, it’s not clear if these accidents are over-worked, over-tired doctors, falling asleep at the wheel or fat-cat cosmetic surgeons wrapping their Porsches around trees. Probably a bit of both.

2. Solicitor

Well at least they should be in a good position to weasel their way out of any legal consequences for the accidents they’re involved with. Again, the combination of fast cars and slow reactions might be something to do with this profession's appearance so high on the list.

1. Accountant

It’s the go-to profession for any writer or comedian trying to conjure a character that simply oozes bland dullness from every pore, but it seems that accountants have a hidden boy-racer streak. Or perhaps it’s just a job that attracts people who aren’t adept at car control. Whichever it is, accountants were responsible for some 16,000 accident claims in 2015, taking them to the number one spot.

And the 10 professions with the fewest car accident claims in 2015:

1. Roofer

 2. Farm worker

 3. Builder

 4. Lorry driver

 5. Cleaner

 6. Carpet fitter

 7. Factory worker

 8. Mechanic

 9. Butcher

 10. Painter and decorators

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