These answers reveal our top driving wants and habits - Adele is one of them

Which places did we drive to most in 2021, what kept us entertained when driving, and what habits do we all share when behind the wheel?

These questions, and more, are answered in the new Waze ‘Year in Rear View’ survey.

The survey looks back at our year in travel, and asked respondents in the UK, United States, Canada, France, Italy, Israel, Brazil and Mexico about driver behaviours, favourite entertainment, fun facts and aspirations, and what they experienced on the road this year.

The 2021 Year in Rear View results revealed the following;

As regards behaviours, a year of working from home meant that the majority of respondents no longer have a commute (55 per cent), and 60 per cent of respondents are happy drivers. Drivers in Brazil and Mexico were ranked happiest, while the UK scored seven out of 10. In the UK, drivers in the North East are happiest, while those in the South West are least happy.

Brits are known for being polite, so it’s no surprise that 60 per cent of us would wait patiently if a car ahead wasn’t moving. Americans, however, are likely to honk their horns.

Men prefer to be in the driver’s seat more than women, with 80 per cent naming it their favourite place in the car. Women, however, prefer riding shotgun to taking the wheel (36 per cent).Also, men are more likely to give up sex to avoid a year’s worth of traffic (19 per cent) in comparison to women (seven per cent).

As regards in-car entertainment, ‘Bad Habits’ by Ed Sheeran was the song that Brits used to describe their year on the roads in 2021 (10 per cent), followed by Adele’s ‘Easy on Me’ (seven per cent) and Elton John and Dua Lipa’s collaboration ‘Cold Heart - PNAU Remix (seven per cent).

Sweets were Brits’ best car snack of the year for 2021, followed by crisps, and fast food.

The UK’s dream car in 2021 is James Bond’s Aston Martin, with nearly half of respondents wishing they could drive it.

Photos: Getty ImagesPhotos: Getty Images
Photos: Getty Images

Adele is the UK’s top choice for a road trip passenger, (10 per cent of votes). Kanye West was least popular, with only one per cent of respondents choosing him.

And 19 per cent of Brits would change jobs if they could have a shorter commute.

Most Brits’ dream road trip would be to Route 66, USA (26 per cent), the Amalfi Coast, Italy (19 per cent) and the Pacific Coast Highway, California, USA (17 per cent).

Interesting road facts:

Top locations and trends that Brits drove to in summer, 2021, were; London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, Coventry, Leicester, and Glasgow.

Locations with the most navigations were; home, car park, supermarket, food and drink outlets, school, petrol station, hotel, hospital, train station, fast food.

Most Brits (42 per cent) plan to stay home for holidays this year, while over a quarter will travel outside their local area. Even fewer (11 per cent) are travelling abroad.

Ru Roberts, Waze UK country manager, said: “After 18 months of intermittent lockdowns, UK motorists are finding joy in driving again. We’ve seen a huge increase in motorists returning to the road, with daily driven miles rising by 23 per cent compared to pre-COVID levels.

“New habits are emerging too - drives for leisure, travel and staycations all increased this year while 55 per cent of UK motorists no longer have a daily commute. Those who can afford to bought cars this year rather than taking public transport, so we predict we’ll see even more cars on the road during 2022.”