WKSU News: Akron-based Goodyear study reveals seven types of drivers

Thursday, August 20, 2015 Akron-based Goodyear study reveals seven types of drivers Delves into the social psychology of driving by WKSU's KABIR BHATIA	Reporter Kabir Bhatia

Although Goodyear's study was undertaken only in Europe, officials say the driver classifications apply worldwide

Courtesy of WKSU

A new study by Goodyear’s European branch and the London School of Economics finds there are seven types of drivers. WKSU's Kabir Bhatia reports.

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The ongoing study on the social psychology of road safety looked at how Europeans respond when interacting with other drivers on the road. Some of the seven “types” have gentle names like “The Forgiver” and “The Avoider,” while others are more aggressive, such as “The Competitor.” None of them are ideal, says Goodyear Europe Spokeswoman Kerstin Flotner.

“You have what we call the ‘Know It All,’ so people [who] think they are surrounded by incompetent fools and know everything better than the others. And sometimes they even shout at the others.”

Some, such as “The Escapee," want to isolate themselves in the car and pay little attention to the road, while “The Teacher" wants other drivers to know what they’ve done wrong. Flotner says the results are equally relevant around the world.

“Talking with my colleagues in Akron and talking with my colleagues in the global community, when we talked about these driving behaviors, they were laughing and said, ‘Yeah, I’ve seen that as well’ or, ‘I’ve experienced that as well’ and ‘Can you imagine just this morning that happened to us?’”

Flotner adds that the study was done as part of Goodyear’s ongoing research into road safety, since the company’s focus is not only on tire design. The first part of the study is here. The second part of the study includes research in 15 European countries, and the final results are expected in October.