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UK motorists are more irritated than ever by other road users, with elderly motorists, boy racers and tailgaters facing the most wrath.
Leading insurer, Admiral surveyed 1,100 motorists on their attitudes to other road users as part of its Annual Drivers' Survey, issued later this month. Among the results it found were:
- Elderly motorists are rated as the worst road users
- Tailgating is the thing they find most annoying about other motorists
- 74% frequently feel angry with other motorists
Admiral managing director, Sharon Clarke, said: "Anger is close to becoming an epidemic on our roads and our research illustrates just what exactly annoys motorists the most."
When asked to rate the worst group of road users, elderly motorists and boy racers came head and shoulders ahead of the rest. 34% voted the elderly worst with 31% choosing boy racers, in third place were taxi drivers with just 13%.
Sharon Clarke, commented: "I'm surprised that elderly motorists were voted public enemy number one by road users, for many older people being able to drive gives them independence. I'm guessing people get irritated because elderly motorists tend to drive more slowly, but people should remember that they also have a lot less accidents than young motorists."
Admiral also polled motorists on the specific bad motoring habits that irritate them. Number one was tailgating with 28% voting it the most annoying bad habit, in second place was hogging the middle lane with 18% and in third place was not indicating, chosen by 16%.
Men and women motorists are irritated by different bad habits, for while tailgating was number one for women, men find hogging the middle lane the most annoying bad driving habit.
There were also regional differences on what habit motorists find most irritating. Although tailgating was number one in most regions; in Scotland and London it was lane hogging, in the North East driving too slowly, the North West cutting in.
| Bad habit |
Females |
Males |
Overall |
| Not indicating |
15.6% |
15.9% |
15.7% |
| Tailgating |
33.3% |
22.2% |
28.3% |
| Hogging the middle lane |
10.9% |
26.4% |
17.9% |
| Cutting up |
16.2% |
11.2% |
13.9% |
| Driving too slowly |
9.1% |
11.9% |
10.4% |
| Racing at traffic lights |
0.8% |
1.0% |
0.9% |
| Not saying thank you when you give way |
14.1% |
11.4% |
12.9% |
| East Anglia |
Tailgating |
| East Midlands |
Tailgating |
| London |
Lane hogging |
| North East |
Driving too slowly |
| Northern Ireland |
Tailgating |
| North West |
Cutting in |
| Scotland |
Lane hogging |
| South East |
Tailgating |
| South West |
Tailgating |
| Wales |
Tailgating |
| West Midlands |
Tailgating |
| Yorkshire |
Tailgating |
Issue date: 26-10-05
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