ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

​Eldest Siblings Are The Worst Drivers, Research Finds

​Eldest Siblings Are The Worst Drivers, Research Finds

89 percent of older siblings are more likely to speed, with 35 percent receiving fines as a result.

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Anyone who's got an older sibling will know that they can be BLOODY annoying. They often strut around the house like they own the place, purely because they were there first.

But it's okay, because now you may have a little ammunition - as it turns out that the eldest siblings are often the worst drivers.

The new study comes from Privilege Car Insurance, which looked at 1,395 drivers' habits - concluding that 89 percent of older siblings are more likely to speed, with 35 percent receiving fines as a result.

Tut tut.

via GIPHY

Researchers also found that 46 percent were more likely to drive in the middle of the road rather than sticking to the left like they're supposed to, while 47 percent have the tendency to cut off other drivers.

30 percent are more likely to break the law by using their mobile phones while behind the wheel, and 17 percent were found to apply makeup while driving.

Because of this, 22 percent have ended up in minor accidents, while 15 percent found themselves in serious ones.

Mind you, they may be crap drivers, but at least the eldest siblings are also apparently more popular with mum and dad.

In a study of 384 families, which was published in the Journal of Family Psychology, it turned out to be the older child who felt their parents like them more - likely because they'd been first to succeed at school or at a sport.

Professor Katherine Conger, one of the University of California research team who conducted the study, said: "I was a little surprised. Our hypothesis was that older, earlier-born children would be more affected by perceptions of differential treatment due to their status as the older child in the family."

If you're a younger sibling, though, rest assured that you're not doomed to feel small for the rest of your life. It turns out there are also upsides to having an older brother or sister.

But there's still a bit of hope for you if you're not the first born, as a study conducted by the University of Torontofound that having an older sibling could help boost your intelligence, while another from Ohio State University found that growing up with brothers or sisters may also make you less likely to eventually get divorced.

So whether you're the oldest or not, there's something good to be gained from all of this.

Featured Image Credit: 20th Television

Topics: News, Driving, Driver