Many drivers know that you lose your patience in a traffic jam. In fact, there are significant differences in terms of patience: depending on the brand of car, the time it takes for traffic jams to become a nuisance can vary. Many Peugeot, BMW and Seat drivers are among the most impatient. You lose patience in a traffic jam after only five to ten minutes. This was the result of a representative survey by Allianz in the run-up to Whitsun travel.
Most Renault, KIA and Fiat drivers remain relaxed for longer than an hour. Regardless of brand, only very few remain calm for long: after 30 minutes, about every third person’s patience breaks. 27 percent are irritated even faster and lose patience after 15 minutes. In general, traffic jams are the second biggest annoyance for German drivers, behind petrol prices and ahead of the behavior of other drivers, according to the car insurer.
It is true that 56 percent of drivers behave in a way that pleases the police: they pull into the right lane and wait until the traffic clears. But impatient drivers react by changing lanes. One in five does that. BMW, Mercedes and Audi drivers account for around 30 percent of the violent lane changers.
However, this is not always without consequences. Behind the wheel of a BMW, 40 percent of those surveyed experienced a traffic accident during a stop-and-go phase. At Mercedes it was 30 percent. The average of all respondents was only 18 percent accident experience in traffic jams. For five percent, the hard shoulder is also a usable lane in a traffic jam – although it costs 75 euros and one point if you drive on the hard shoulder to make faster progress. Drivers with a criminal record are on the hard shoulder more often than average. 20 percent of the drivers with at least three points in Flensburg do that.
The survey also revealed that 25 percent of Germans get stuck in traffic several times a year. But for 42 percent, traffic jams are the order of the day on vacation. In a national comparison, Bavarians are the most congested citizens: 51 percent start their vacation with slow or stationary traffic. But half of Berliners are stuck in traffic every day or at least several times a week. However, this does not apply to commuters, because only three percent of Brandenburgers experience a traffic jam on a regular basis. In general, the journey to work (20 percent) and after work (28 percent) puts the patience of many drivers to the test.
After the Ascension weekend, the ADAC also expects traffic jams on the motorways over the Pentecost holidays. According to the automobile club, drivers from almost all federal states are expected to be on the road.
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