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Is your sign an expert behind the wheel, or do you belong in the passenger seat?
By Trudi Mentior — Written on Nov 13, 2017
Driving is an important part of our modern lifestyle. According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation, the average person spends about an hour every day sitting in a car. (If your city has major traffic jams at every rush hour, you probably spend a lot more time than that.) That’s a significant chunk of your life.
Cars can be thought of as an extension of both our bodies and our minds that even our horoscope can't predict with certainty. When you sit behind the wheel, you become like the brain that pilots the physical shell through the world. The car responds to your commands, and if you have a lot of practice at driving, you usually don’t even have to think about it — it’s as easy and natural as walking.
A car provides a buffer zone between us and the rest of the world. Sometimes it seems like our worst personality traits come out when we get behind the wheel.
As a pedestrian, you probably wouldn’t scream at someone who accidentally walked in front of you on the sidewalk. From inside the car, though, we’re all relatively anonymous: those who are so inclined can yell at people and act like jerks without worrying about consequences.
Travel and vehicles are represented in astrology as well. The planet Mercury (which rules the third house, Gemini, and Virgo) is named after the Greek god of swiftness and communication. It stands to reason that some signs make better drivers than others.
This list is based only on the Sun signs. Look at your full natal chart to see how much influence each zodiac sign has on your life. For example, if you’re a Gemini, but you have a lot of Sagittarian energy, you’re probably not as smooth of a driver as you think you are. The Sun sign is only a small part of a full astrology chart, so your mileage may vary.
Here are the zodiac signs who are the best drivers, ranked from best to worst.
1. CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19)
Capricorn’s patience, efficiency, and ability to plan ahead makes them the best drivers of the zodiac. This sign paces themselves in everything, and they’re not prone to speeding or impulsive lane changes.
Always practical and realistic, Capricorn is the one who reminds you to choose a designated driver before the party even starts.
2. GEMINI (May 21 - June 20)
For Gemini, life is all about working the crowd and gauging others’ moods and attitudes. This applies to driving as well: Gemini is a mental multi-tasker, expertly adjusting to changes in the traffic patterns and responding quickly when something unexpected happens.
3. VIRGO (August 23 - September 22)
Virgo’s obsessive-compulsive affinity for rules and order can be a drag, but it’s a good trait to have on the road. You’ll hear them grumble a lot about other drivers.
Virgo is a perfectionist and can’t help but notice when anyone else makes a mistake. Their superior conscientiousness and precision gives them the right to complain.
4. LEO (July 23 - August 22)
Leo doesn’t so much share the road as they assume that everyone else must be there to serve as their royal escort and entourage. Just look at all these other cars around Leo, all going in the same direction... it must be a parade! With Leo as the star attraction!
Happily, Leo is a kind and generous monarch, and graciously allows their subjects plenty of room to maneuver.
5. SCORPIO (October 23 - November 21)
With their natural dramatic flair and love of being in control, Scorpio tends to be one of those drivers that you wish would get pulled over... if only they were actually doing anything wrong.
When Scorpio wants to be at the front of the lane, they’re not shy about getting there, but seldom go so far as to endanger anyone. Call them all the names you want; there’s nothing wrong with being a safely assertive driver.
6. LIBRA (September 23 - October 22)
Libra might come off as flighty and frivolous, but their innate ability to “read a room” and get a feel for the energy flow works on the road, too. Libra senses problems ahead before they develop and knows when to hang back and avoid the mess.
7. CANCER (June 21 - July 22)
Cautious and slightly paranoid, Cancer is an excellent defensive driver. They tend to be a little too careful sometimes, though — the slow driver up ahead taking forever to turn right and making everyone nuts might very well be a nervous Cancer wishing they were safely back at home.
8. AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18)
Aquarius is, above all, an innovative, individualistic personality. They make their own rules. They’ll happily obey someone else’s law until it doesn’t suit their purposes.
If no one’s looking, Aquarius doesn’t see why they can’t go the wrong way down a one-way street or ignore the red light if there’s no cross-traffic. Hey, no one got hurt, so what’s the big deal?
9. PISCES (February 19 - March 20)
Pisces lives in an emotional dream world most of the time. That doesn’t mean that they can’t pay attention on the road, but because they can’t help reacting emotionally to everything around them, they tend to be easily upset by little things.
Pisces isn’t likely to lash out at other drivers, but it’s hard to see the stop signs when you’re always squinting through tears.
10. TAURUS (April 20 - May 20)
Taurus is usually calm and methodical, but their stubborn, territorial nature can turn into competitive driving when someone cuts them off. Taurus is very protective of their own property, and that includes their space in the lane.
Luckily, they’d rather keep their car’s finish pristine than risk an accident, so they’ll usually just back off and stew about it for the rest of the day.
11. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21)
Sagittarius might be watching the road. They might be watching the other drivers. They might be fascinated with the shiny yellow van in the next lane. They might be staring at a cloud.
What does that bumper sticker say? Hey, that’s a cool yard decoration. There’s that little bistro where we— OOH, A SQUIRREL!
12. ARIES (March 21 - April 19)
Two words: ROAD RAGE. Aries’ planet is Mars, the god of war. Impulsive and headstrong, Aries would make a fabulous race car driver.
But on a normal day, they have to work hard to stay in control and remember that they’re just running to the grocery store, not commanding the lead chariot in a full-on epic battle.
Trudi Mentior grew up in Great Falls, Montana, where she spent her formative years wondering just what might be beyond those vast plains, on the other side of those distant mountains. She now lives in Vancouver, Washington, with her husband, three cats, and a loudmouthed hyacinth macaw (who loves to scare the cats).