Lane hoggers, tail-gaters and frequent lane-changers are among the most annoying bugbears for motorists

Lane hoggers, tail-gaters and frequent lane-changers are among the most annoying bugbears for motorists, research revealed yesterday.

A detailed study found nine in ten drivers get annoyed by others, with tailgating being the most popular annoyance winding up over three quarters of Brits.

The report also found road users cutting in at the last minute, those who pull out of a junction too slowly and failing to stop for a red light also infuriate drivers.

Unsurprisingly, nearly two thirds of those polled admitted their own driving can be affected by irritants on the road, and at times they don’t drive as safely as they should themselves when trying to avoid other annoying drivers.

David Carter from Accident Advice Helpline, who commissioned the study said: “It’s understandable for motorists to get frustrated but we are all guilty of causing danger to other road users when driving.

“It’s important to not let your emotions get the better of you when other motorists are driving dangerously, as this won’t always end well.”

Drivers who ‘rev’ at traffic lights, those who are slow to pull out and taking too long to park are among the top 50 bugbears.

‘Rubber neckers’ who slow down traffic to inspect accidents annoy three in ten Brits.

While four in ten get irritated by those who skip red lights and those who don’t stop at zebra crossings.

And 54 per cent of drivers feel annoyed by others who insist on hogging the middle lane.

But it’s not just other motorists causing problems, with roadworks, speed traps and cyclists using the road instead of the purpose-built cycle lanes infuriating drivers.

For some it’s what’s going on inside the car, with passengers and their terrible music taste getting hold of the radio annoying motorists.

Of the average eight hours a week spent driving, nearly a fifth of this time is spent getting annoyed by fellow road users.

And 57 per cent said they get distracted by the poor decisions made by others.

Three in ten find they won’t drive as safely because of the behaviour of other motorists, which is resulting in six in ten having a ‘near’ miss or accident because of another driver.

And eight per cent admit the same applies as a result of their own poor driving decisions.

David Carter added: “We deal with the aftermath of accidents and know first-hand the devastating effects that car accidents can have on people’s lives. If drivers are getting irritated on the road there’s a chance that this cause an accident which can alter people’s lives”.

TOP 50 DRIVING IRRITATIONS
1. Tailgating

2. Drivers who don’t signal

3. People texting and driving

4. Drivers who leave their full beam on

5. Parking over two spaces

6. Lane hoggers

7. Slow drivers

8. Drivers who don’t say thank you

9. Drivers who use the empty lane to get to the front of a queue of traffic and cut in last minute

10. People who go through red lights

11. Cyclists who go through red lights

12. Fast drivers

13. Parking on an angle so you can’t possible park next to them

14. Traffic jams

15. Drivers who don’t stop at zebra crossings

16. Road works

17. People who fly past you when one lane is shut and try and squeeze in half a mile ahead of you when you’ve been patiently waiting in the queue

18. When lorries overtake other lorries and cause a massive tailback

19. Cyclists who ride on the road when there are purpose built cycle lanes right nearby

20. Drivers who undertake

21. People who sit in the far right lane when they aren’t overtaking

22. Breaking suddenly

23. Lane-changers

24. Sunday drivers

25. Rubber neckers/slowing down traffic to look at an accident

26. Drivers who don’t wear seatbelts

27. Hidden speed cameras

28. Getting trapped behind a bus/tractor

29. Drivers of white vans who think they’re Lewis Hamilton and do 100mph in the fast lane

30. Drivers who never let anyone out

31. People who change their speed really erratically

32. When you catch all the red lights

33. Drivers who refuse to overtake something slow like a cyclist or horse

34. Hesitant drivers who won’t pull out of a turning even though you have flashed your lights eight times and waved them out three times

35. Speed traps

36. Drivers with loud music and the windows down

37. People who have their fog lights on – in the summer

38. Drivers who leave their indicators on

39. Average speed cameras

40. 50mph signs on the motorway

41. Dithering at junctions

42. Drivers who beep

43. Drivers who stop to let cars through despite there being plenty of room

44. People who pull away really slowly

45. Drivers who ‘rev’ at traffic lights

46. Drivers who keep stopping to let people out

47. People who drive at 60mph in the middle lane and get the hump when you undertake them at 70mph in the slow lane

48. People who turn into roads really slowly

49. Drivers who take too long to park

50. When you change lane in traffic because the other lane is going quicker – and the lane you change into stops dead