Generally speaking, BMW drivers have a bad reputation mainly due to many drivers being young and inexperienced, and doing things like driving aggressively and not using their signal lights. Most inexperienced drivers that crave some action typically go for a BMW purchase, making them an annoyance on the road.
What are the main reasons behind BMW drivers having a bad reputation?
In a recent poll in the United Kingdom with more than 2,500 responses from people between 35 and 40 years old, more than 40 percent answered that BMW drivers are tagged as the most disruptive and hated in their community. Other studies from different countries have found similar results. There must be a reason for this general consensus among different individuals.
On a general note, public perception of certain ownership segments is often skewed due to one small noisy group of people within that segment making a lot of very bad or very good impressions. In the case of BMW, this particular group are aggressive drivers that do not use signal lights and that drive well beyond the speed limit.
Of course, the bad name of BMW drivers would apply to a relatively small portion of them, but nevertheless, it can be true in some cases.
BMW’s turn signals are harder to use, and more counter-intuitive on most new BMW vehicles. That makes many of the drivers forget to use them, causing outrage amongst another people in traffic.
Newer BMWs require you to push the signal lever in the same direction in order for you to stop the signal, which is counter-intuitive for most drivers, as no other vehicle uses the same system. This often discourages BMW drivers from using their signals whatsoever.
Confirmation bias is something else that plays a huge part in our perception of others. If you expect someone to do something simply because they are in a certain automobile brand, and you see them do it, it will only further enhance your negative feelings about them, even if they are just one of the many drivers who behave this way.
Expensive cars mean less agreeable drivers. More often than not, BMW models are expensive and drivers of more expensive vehicles have a reputation of being less agreeable than others. Perhaps they are more egotistical than other drivers or feel more important, which could explain some of their behavior on the road.
Younger drivers with less experience often go for BMWs. The less experience a driver has, the more inclined they are to annoy others on the road. Generally, people who drive sporty BMWs are young and are very enthusiastic about feeling sheer driving pleasure on the road, which might make them dangerous in some cases.
Could you turn BMW drivers’ bad reputation around?
Typically, in city traffic, using turn signals when turning or switching lanes is mandatory by law. No matter what you do, there will be a certain stigma around you as a BMW driver, in some people’s views. Confirmation bias plays a huge role in the public’s eye.
To help stop these negative stereotypes, you could always behave on the road, not only for the sake of others but also for your sake. Try to eliminate speeding as much as possible, and use the turn signals. As a BMW driver, you might end up on national news for using a turn signal while turning.
Jokes aside, not using turn signals can actually be very dangerous as statistics show approximately 40 percent of traffic accidents within city areas occur due to faulty usage of signal lights while turning or switching lanes.
BMW produces a car for sheer driving pleasure
BMW has labelled itself as the car company that delivers sheer driving pleasure and it focuses on delivering that experience to the drivers. This means that some people who buy BMWs focus on themselves more than others and might sacrifice the public good for their own passion and entertainment.
And although the vehicles BMW produces are generally some of the best driving machines out there, some of the people who drive these cars make a bad name for all BMW drivers in the world.
There are millions of BMW drivers out there, making BMW one of the most sold car brands in the world. The more the merrier, but in this case, the more BMW drivers there are out there, the bigger the chance there is that you actually bump into some of them making a stupid maneuver, solidifying a bad reputation for all of them.
Although all of this might sound like prejudice, the confirmation bias of the masses fuels these perceptions. In sociology, it is often observed how a very noisy small segment of users of a certain product can make an image for all others that are silent. In this case, a small percentage of misbehaving BMW drivers actually discredit the larger portion of the drivers that behave on the road.
FAQs about BMW drivers
What type of drivers typically drive BMWs?
The majority of BMW drivers are males between 40 and 59, but sportier models usually get purchased by younger men. Smaller BMW models like 1 Series are usually bought by women more than men, and they are driven in city traffic or for commuting.
Why do many middle-class people drive BMWs?
Although BMW might be a little far-fetched for the budget of many middle-class people, unless they have good savings, it is a status symbol that can make others perceive you as wealthy and influential. BMWs are often used in business meetings and to make a good first impression among colleagues. BMW luxury sedans are usually comfortable vehicles that speak class like few other machines on the market.
Why are BMW drivers aggressive?
The majority of BMW cars are vehicles that were specifically designed to bring sheer driving pleasure to their owners. Most BMW drivers purchase their BMWs because of their superb handling, quick acceleration and good grip and feel of the road. If someone has purchased a sports vehicle, you can expect them to drive it aggressively more often than not.
