It’s commonly known that we don’t really learn to drive until we’ve passed our driving test and spent some time on the road by ourselves. Perhaps this is where we develop our own driving style or perhaps it is only when we’re alone and free from the watchful eyes of a driving instructor that we can let go of the rules and decide for ourselves the best way to drive.
Many of us pick up different driving habits the more time we spend on the roads and in addition, we also develop certain judgements and preconceptions about other drivers. So what are the habits of drivers on the road today? Here we have the UK driving habits revealed.
Which vehicles are the most trusted on the road?
A recent survey has unveiled some interesting findings on our perceptions about other vehicles on the road – especially in terms of what vehicles were “trusted” by other road users.
While 43% of road users trusted cars only 5% trusted vans to manoeuvre safely on the roads, closely followed by lorries who are trusted by only 8% of other road users.
Meanwhile, 31% trusted buses making them the second most trusted vehicle on the road, whereas motorbikes got only 12% of the vote.
What are the most hated driving habits?
Everyone has their own driving style, yet many of us have certain pet peeves when it comes to other driver’s habits – especially if it puts the safety of other road users at risk.
Something that bothered most people in the survey was catching drivers programming their satellite navigation system rather than concentrating on the road, although drivers listening to loud music were found to be more irritating.
The second most annoying habit were drivers who manoeuvred without signalling or who used the incorrect signal before manoeuvring something that 29% of people in the survey found annoying.
However, over half of those surveyed agreed that drivers using their mobile phone whilst driving was the most annoying driving habit they encountered on the UK roads.
Can you judge driver by the appearance of their car?
It would certainly seem so as 27% of those who took part in the survey said that they were more likely to trust a silver car above any other colour on the road.
The survey results also revealed that bumper stickers and other car accessories are likely to suggest whether or not a vehicle is trustworthy or not.
Some 13% of those surveyed said that a bumper sticker for “Dad’s Taxi” suggested a poor driver, whereas 15% said the same about the “Powered by Fairy Dust” bumper sticker. The “Babe on Board” bumper sticker makes 20% of those surveyed wary of the driver, closely followed by the “My Other Car’s a Porsche” which got 21% of the vote.
Yet the bumper sticker that caused most concern for those in the survey was the Tazmanian Devil sticker which got 30% of the vote.
