The survey by pollsters Ipsos/Steria for French motorway operator Vinci found that 47 percent of Europeans questioned believed that Swedes were Europe's most responsible drivers, with Germans coming in second place with 26 percent.

 

Other questions revealed that Swedes were the least likely in Europe to 'beep the horn excessively at drivers who get on your nerves', and the most likely to switch drivers during a long journey – perhaps a nod to the country's famous gender equality.

 

Swedes also voted themselves the calmest drivers on Europe's roads, with 66 percent suggesting that 'calm' was the most accurate adjective to describe themselves while driving, compared to just 40 percent of Belgians, who scored lowest in this category.

 

But Swedes demonstrated that they are not always role models on the road. 50 percent admitted that they sometimes forgot to indicate while overtaking and 46 percent said they spoke on the phone without a hands-free kit while they were driving – the highest figure in Europe.

 

Italy – the nation that brought the world the Ferrari – was declared home to the most reckless drivers. 38 percent of respondents described Italians as driving dangerously, a figure that rose to 58 percent among the Italians surveyed for the study. As The Local Italy recently found out, they are also among the worst at parking.

 

Pollsters quizzed a total of 7032 Europeans from France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, the UK and Sweden for the Vinci study, which took place between January 29th and February 10th.