Gen Z riskiest drivers study Reveals Australians Distrust Young Drivers the Most

Gen Z riskiest drivers study Finds 77% of Global Respondents Agree

As the global population grows, more drivers are getting behind the wheel, and with that comes a long-standing question: which drivers are actually contributing most to road risk? A new international survey provides a controversial answer. The Gen Z riskiest drivers study, conducted by UK comparison service Scrap Car Comparison, finds that a vast majority of global motorists believe drivers under the age of 25 are the biggest risk on the road.

The research, conducted across 18 countries, reveals that 77% of global respondents agree that young drivers have a “cavalier” attitude towards driving. This widespread perception places Gen Z firmly at the bottom of the trust spectrum.

Here is a look at the specific countries that distrust young drivers the most, and how other age groups fared.

The Riskiest Age Group: Perception vs. Reality

The study reveals a sharp skepticism toward younger motorists across the English-speaking world, where more than 80% of respondents agreed Gen Z takes the most risks.

Interestingly, while the Gen Z riskiest drivers study reflects perception, actual accident data often shows that drivers under 25, while inexperienced and more prone to specific high-risk behaviors (like distraction and aggressive driving), are often less involved in fatal crashes than older demographics (e.g., the 75+ age group, which has the highest death rate per 100,000 population). However, multiple studies also confirm that those aged 15–24 are consistently the most vulnerable population in terms of crash injuries and highest accident rates.

Millennials and the Trust Gap

At the other end of the age spectrum, Millennials aged 35–44 emerged as the most trusted drivers globally, with a majority of participants saying they feel safest when someone from this group is at the wheel. They are viewed as having the ideal balance of experience and reaction time—the “Goldilocks generation” of driving.

On the older side, perceptions become complex:

• The 60+ Group: A high number of respondents are wary of drivers aged 60 and above, with nearly half (48%) believing motorists should retire from driving sometime in their 70s.
• The 80+ Group: The skepticism is starkest here. Only 18% of global respondents would feel comfortable being a passenger in a car driven by someone aged 80 or above.

Despite the strong age-based opinions, the study found a more nuanced underlying belief: 70% of global motorists think experience (not age) is the defining factor in safe driving, suggesting that governments debating licensing rules for older drivers have a challenging path ahead.

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