Most drivers will have experienced some form of frustration at others on the road. This can be hogging the middle lane or taking over two parking spaces. Even the most patient amongst us can get a little hot under the collar.

A new study has revealed which driving habits are currently peeking the pain of British motorists.

Get back

Automotive retailer Vertu Motors surveyed 2,000 UK motorists. It has found that almost half of drivers put tailgating as the most annoying habit (47%).

Not only this, but it’s also the second most common habit. Over half (52%) of drivers report that they see other motorists tailgating the most often.

Tailgating is highly dangerous. Whilst it does not allow the following car enough distance to stop safely if the car in front suddenly stops, it is also highly intimidating  to the driver in front. This lone can lead to nerves, poor decision making under duress and crashes.

Respondents also said they were constantly frustrated by drivers who failed to indicate (34%), used their phone while driving (27%), and put their headlights on full beam (19%).

Interestingly, slower drivers were also considered a bigger annoyance (16%) than those who broke the speed limit (10%).

Most annoying ranking

Behaviours of other drivers

Percentage of respondents

#1

When they tailgate

47%

#2

When they fail to indicate

34%

#3

When they use their phone while driving

27%

#4

When they drive with their lights on full beam

19%

#5

When they stay in the middle lane on the motorway

17%

#6

When they take up two parking spaces

17%

#7

When they drive significantly slower than the speed limit

16%

#8

When they honk their horn or flash their lights to hurry me

14%

#9

When they brake suddenly

14%

#10

When they try to get ahead of me at a lane closure

13%

 

Driving habits

In true British fashion, UK drivers are very keen to show their gratitude to other road users. The vast majority of our respondents (63%) said they regularly raise their hand to signal thanks to other drivers. Meanwhile, 43% always flash their headlights to do the same, though this is actually a violation of the Highway Code.

But not all respondents are so grateful to other drivers on the road. In fact, 18% admitted to honking their horn to show annoyance and 14% said they had experienced road rage due to the behaviour of other drivers.

 

Most common ranking

Driving habits

Percentage of respondents

#1

Raise hand to signal thanks to other drivers

63%

#2

Flash headlights to signal thanks to other drivers

43%

#3

Use phone for sat nav

23%

#4

Drive over the speeding limit

21%

#5

Play music loudly

18%

#6

Honk horn to indicate annoyance at another motorist

18%

#7

Experience ‘road rage’ due to other drivers

14%

#8

Only indicate if there are other drivers on the road

12%

#9

Drive while tired

12%

#10

Leave car turned on and unattended while it defrosts

10%

 

Relax, don’t do it

When asked about how they passed their time in the car, 66% of UK drivers said they favoured listening to music. A further 22% also said they used road trips to audition for their very own version of Carpool Karaoke.

Taking the scenic route (27%), stopping at service stations (14%), and listening to podcasts (13%) were also nominated as popular pastimes for UK drivers.

Most common ranking

Driving pastimes

Percentage of respondents

#1

Listen to music

67%

#2

Take more scenic routes to enjoy the countryside

27%

#3

Sing along loudly to music

22%

#4

Stop at service stations

14%

#5

Listen to podcasts

13%

#6

Eat snacks

11%

#7

Go to a drive thru

10%

#8

Call friends / family to catch up

7%

#9

Play games with passengers

4%

#10

None of the above

12%

 

Superstitious drivers

From our aversion to broken mirrors to never opening an umbrella indoors, superstitions tend to crop up everywhere in everyday life. But how about on the road?

Surprisingly, only 20% of respondents admit to superstitions about driving.

Of the superstitious, 31% said that they follow the same road routes as much as possible. In second, 30% said they saluted magpies on the road.

Magpies were not the only animal-related superstition, either. We found that 23% of superstitious drivers considered a bird pooing on their car to be good luck. A further 20% believed a black cat crossing in front of their car was bad luck.

Most common ranking

Driving superstitions

Percentage of respondents

#1

I follow the same routes as much as possible

31%

#2

I salute to magpies on the road

30%

#3

I try to always park in the same place for good luck

26%

#4

I consider a bird pooing on my car to be good luck

23%

#5

I think a black cat crossing the street in front of me is bad luck

20%

#6

I have a ‘lucky’ item that I keep in my car

18%

#7

I hold my breath when driving under a tunnel

14%

#8

I throw change under the seat of a new car

14%

#9

I hold my breath when driving past a cemetery

10%

#10

None of the above

12%

 

Behave yourself

The survey found that drivers most appreciated it (54%) when fellow motorists kept a good distance in front of their vehicle. Drivers who indicated clearly before turning (48%) or who signalled thanks to own considerate behaviour (42%) were also extremely popular with UK motorists.

Most popular ranking

Behaviours of other drivers

Percentage of respondents

#1

When they keep a good distance behind me

54%

#2

When they indicate clearly before turning

48%

#3

When they signal thanks to considerate behaviour

42%

#4

When they allow me to change lanes in traffic

30%

#5

When they let me have right of way

22%

#6

When they are patient if I make a mistake

19%

#7

When they drive within the speed limit

17%

#8

When they let me know about an upcoming hazard

16%

#9

When they brake smoothly

14%

#10

None of the above

4%

 

Know the code

Experts at Vertu Motors believe these results should be a warning to all motorists.

“Tailgating is not only frustrating to other drivers on the road but could also land you in serious trouble as it is classed as careless driving, an offence that could result in a £100 fine or three points on your license.

“With tailgating being the most annoying driving habit – and one of the most common too – it’s essential that motorists understand how much distance they should leave between vehicles. The Highway Code states that drivers should allow at least a two-second gap between themselves and the vehicle in front.

“And this could not be more important as we approach the colder and darker months. In harsher weather conditions, such as ice or heavy rain, this two-second gap should be extended to at least four seconds to account for the reduced grip on the roads.

“Bad habits can develop over time when it comes to driving, that is why we always recommend to keep refreshing your knowledge of what is best practice and common courtesy on the roads, a great way to do this is by regularly reading the Highway Code.

Adhering to the Highway Code is mandatory for road safety and will help drivers to be more considerate on the roads.”

Read the full article here.