Bad Manners is the route to road rage according to survey

The Autocar AA “Drive Better” campaign thinks that some good old fashioned manners could bring back the smile to drivers’ faces and remove the threat of road rage.

Commenting, Edmund King, AA president said “ Many drivers do thank others who let them out but 37% of male drivers and 46% of female drivers still find those who don’t a major irritation. Lorry drivers tend to flash their hazard lights and others raise their hand to acknowledge the good manners of other drivers. It does not take much to let someone into the queue of traffic or to acknowledge them. We all need to live in harmony on the roads so better manners would help.”

Autocar editor Chas Hallett said “Personal transport is hugely important to all of us but we need to make our roads better and safer places to be. Being nicer to other drivers and acknowledging their existence calms everyone down, and that’s got to be good for everyone. And a friendly raise of the hand and a smile uses much less energy than an angry, heated exchange”.

The top ten types of driver that other drivers most dislike were:
1. Boy racers 42%
2. Drivers who don’t say thanks 41%
3. Drivers who show off 33%
4. Those who listen to loud music, windows open 23%
5. White van man 21%
6. Sunday drivers 20%
7. School run mums 16% (19% males,12% females)
8. Taxi/Mini cab drivers 14%
9. Foreign lorry drivers 12%
10. Drivers with caravans 9%

Other driving irritants included:
Drivers with signs in the car with slogans such as baby on board annoyed five per cent, while 3% didn’t like those vain drivers who always look in the mirror.

Heavyweight motoring brands Autocar and the AA have joined forces to make motoring a better experience for road users frustrated by the lack of ability or care of many drivers.

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