App rating Where do the worst drivers in NRW come from?
Bonn · There is plenty of room for arguments and misbehaviour in road traffic. An app offers road users the opportunity to rate drivers. We reveal which city in NRW comes off worst.
Traffic jams, closures and diversions: Droning horns during the evening rush hour and wild gesticulating during disagreements rarely make for safe coexistence on the roads. Pedestrians and cyclists are annoyed by parking violations, while many motorists feel restricted by closures and traffic diversions. Driving remains an irritant for many people.
According to the traffic accident statistics of the NRW police, there were a total of 581,809 traffic accidents in 2021. Although this is 25,009 and 4.49 percent more than in the previous year, in a five-year comparison, however, the number of road accidents is constantly decreasing.
The fahrerbewertung.de portal
The Bonn-based "Initiative für sichere Straßen UG" created the web portal fahrerbewertung.de in 2014. According to its own information, the portal has set itself the task of making a contribution "to successful cooperation and consideration in road traffic and ultimately to safer roads for everyone". Users can rate drivers via the portal or the app using licence plates.
Road users can submit ratings via the app or on the website. The rating is based on a selection of numerous pre-formulated criteria and the school grading system, which ranges from the best grade of very good (1) to the worst possible grade of insufficient (6). Negative criteria include "is a speeder", "parks contrary to traffic regulations" and "does not keep a safe distance". Positive ratings include, for example, "generally drives pleasantly", "thanks kindly" and "stops in an exemplary manner at zebra crossings".
Feedback on one's own licence plate would be made available to motorists upon request in order to create better awareness of one's own behaviour. According to its own information, fahrerbewertung.de "strictly adheres to the requirements of German jurisdiction" when it comes to data protection.
The worst drivers in NRW come from Duisburg
According to fahrerbewertung.de, the worst drivers from NRW are those with the DU number plate. Nationwide, Duisburg motorists are in fourth place for the worst drivers with a score of 4.6 (as of 13 March 2023). 53 percent of the 10,017 ratings given criticised motorists for exceeding the speed limit at 30 kilometres per hour or even more. Drivers from Dortmund (4.5) and Bielefeld (4.4) received similarly poor ratings (as of 13 March 2023).
This is how drivers from Bonn fared
With an average rating of 4.2 (sufficient), motorists from Bonn fared little better than those from Duisburg (as of 13 March 2023). Among the 11,459 ratings, the most frequent "flop behaviour" was "tailgates/cuts other lanes" with 20 percent. This was closely followed by "is a speeder (30km/h or more too fast)" at 16 per cent and "parks in violation of traffic regulations" at 13 per cent. According to the ratings on fahrerbewertung.de, only four per cent of Bonn residents drive in a "generally pleasant" manner.
When looking at the ratings, however, it should not be disregarded that anger and frustration are more likely to prompt a rating than a positive experience. The ratings are primarily very subjective - nevertheless, reflecting on one's own driving behaviour is indispensable for a calmer and safer coexistence.
(Original text: Jasmin Kaub; Translation: Mareike Graepel)
