Bad manners: the route to road rage

Road rage. We've all witnessed it, or perhaps even felt the red mist descending ourselves after being carved up by some inconsiderate cretin.

Well, the phenomenon has become serious enough for UK's Automobile Association (AA) to conduct a study into the types of drivers that other road users most dislike.

The association polled 14,743 of its members to come up with its findings, which make interesting reading, even though they're specific to the UK.

As far as we're aware, no such studies have as yet been conducted in Oz, but we're guessing at least some of the results are likely to correlate.

Here are the top 10 types of driver that other UK motorists most dislike:

1.   Boy racers -- 42 per cent
2.   Drivers who don't say thanks -- 41 per cent
3.   Drivers who show off -- 33 per cent
4.   Those who listen to loud music, windows open -- 23 per cent
5.   White van man -- 21 per cent
6.   Sunday drivers -- 20 per cent
7.   School run mums -- 16 per cent (19 per cent males, 12 per cent females)
8.   Taxi/mini-cab drivers -- 14 per cent
9.   Foreign lorry drivers --12 per cent
10.  Drivers with caravans -- 9 per cent

Other driving irritants included drivers with signs in the car with slogans such as "Baby on board" (annoyed five per cent), while three per cent didn't like vain drivers who always look in the mirror.

And while white van drivers wound up as an irritant to 21 per cent, drivers of Britain's iconic red Royal Mail Van cause almost no distress to other drivers countrywide.

The study has potentially served a purpose, as it's prompted the establishment in the UK of the Autocar AA "Drive Better" campaign, which aims to instill better road manners.

"Personal transport is hugely important to all of us but we need to make our roads better and safer places to be," said Autocar editor Chas Hallett. Obvious, yet true, we feel.

"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 Autocar/AA Drive Better Campaign believes the route to better, safer roads is education.  Autocar and the AA will be lobbying the UK government for a re-think of the driving test process.

Perhaps a similar initiative wouldn't go astray on our shores...

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