British Survey Reveals Fastest Driver Reflexes by Car Brand, Fuel Type, and Transmission

A recent survey of 2,000 drivers has revealed which car brands have the quickest driver reflexes, with some surprising results. The study, conducted by scrapcarcomparison.uk, tested reaction times in virtual emergency scenarios and ranked drivers by the brand of car they drive, as well as by fuel type and transmission.

Volvo drivers topped the list with an average reaction time of 0.401 seconds, outperforming all other brands and dispelling stereotypes about Volvo owners. Jaguar drivers followed closely with a 0.409-second reaction time, while Suzuki drivers rounded out the top three at 0.413 seconds. Jimny fans and P plate swift owners rejoice.

Interestingly, Volvo drivers also showed the largest gap between their ‘reaction age’ and their actual age, with an average age of 45 but reflexes comparable to a 32-year-old. This suggests that Volvo drivers are particularly sharp behind the wheel. At the other end of the spectrum, Mercedes-Benz drivers had the slowest average reaction time of 0.527 seconds, almost 24% slower than Volvo drivers. Their average ‘reaction age’ was 45 years, which is older than their actual average age of 41, indicating slower reflexes compared to their peers.

The survey also found that drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles generally had faster reaction times than those driving petrol or diesel cars. Electric vehicle drivers had an average reaction time of 0.459 seconds, while hybrid drivers averaged 0.462 seconds. Both groups outperformed their petrol/diesel counterparts.

When it comes to transmission, drivers of manual cars proved to be slightly more alert than those with automatics, with a reaction time of 0.459 seconds versus 0.468 seconds. Manual drivers also responded with reflexes younger than their actual age by six years, compared to just three years for automatic drivers.

Reaction Times by Car Brand