The study looked at more than 400,000 accidents and incidents on Britain’s roads. Scientists tried to determine whether it is possible to somehow connect car brands with the culprits of accidents. In addition, fines imposed on drivers were also investigated.
The study found that malicious violations such as speeding, overtaking in a solid line, failing to yield to pedestrians and passing through an intersection at a red light were more likely to be committed by Subaru, BMW and Porsche drivers.
The leader of the study, Professor Alan Tapp of the University of the West of England, says that drivers of cars whose advertisements show efficient driving are more likely to break the rules of the road.
However, one question scientists cannot answer is whether drivers choose such cars because they are prone to aggressive driving, or only after sitting in such a car do they start driving more aggressively?
The study highlights that some car manufacturers deliberately spend 100s of millions of euros each year on advertisements that show signs of aggressive driving. Of course, manufacturers follow the rules of the law and do not offend anyone, but this study will make you look more closely at advertisements, as it may be related to traffic safety on the streets, according to the conclusions of the researchers who conducted this study.
Here’s how car manufacturers responded to the findings of this study: Porsche announced that road safety is a priority for this manufacturer and every customer has the opportunity and is regularly invited to safe driving courses to constantly improve their driving skills.
Subaru replied that they have already reviewed their model range and now have almost no sporty modifications among the car selection in the European market, and marketing and communication have changed drastically in the last year. The priority is safety and reliability, and the entire model range is maximally safe. All Subaru models are rated with the maximum safety rating of 5 stars.
BMW also emphasizes that safety is the most important thing for them.
