I don't think this is more than just superficially true for driving. As another commentor pointed out, there are (at least) two causes of "better," one being m

I don't think this is more than just superficially true for driving. As another commentor pointed out, there are (at least) two causes of "better," one being more skilled/practiced and the other being more careful. Presented with such a dichotomy, I doubt the average person would grossly over-estimate his own skill, though he might over-estimate his own carefulness. Anyone find any studies on this? I've also, in casual conversations, used the proxy of "loving" driving. Very few people love to drive, unconditionally. For those that don't, eliminating any mechanical aspect of operating the vehicle is potentially appealling, since the whole experience is a degree of necessary evil. Another proxy I used is transmission preference in "stop and go" traffic, though this is just a specific case of the mechanical part of driving a car.