Skip to main content

New driver study reveals Britain’s ten worst driving habits

According to a study by business driving expert, the Fuelcard Company, which questioned 1,000 drivers across the UK more than half of British drivers (52 per cent) have picked up some potentially dangerous driving habits. These include going too fast or too slow, texting while driving, using the phone or hands-free, eating or smoking at the wheel, driving too close to other vehicles, throwing rubbish out of the window, hogging the middle lane and checking phone notifications. Interestingly, more than
September 23, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
According to a study by business driving expert, the Fuelcard Company, which questioned 1,000 drivers across the UK more than half of British drivers (52 per cent) have picked up some potentially dangerous driving habits.

These include going too fast or too slow, texting while driving, using the phone or hands-free, eating or smoking at the wheel, driving too close to other vehicles, throwing rubbish out of the window, hogging the middle lane and checking phone notifications.

Interestingly, more than a third of drivers claim to only practice these bad habits when they are in their car alone. However, despite confessing to exhibiting some of these bad habits, more than one-in-four (27 per cent) of UK drivers claim to be the best driver they know and 37 per cent say they are a better driver than their partner.

The report also asked drivers about road rage with 38 per cent admitting they felt they suffered from it. The DVLA currently lists 45.5 million drivers in Great Britain, equating to 17 million drivers suffering from road rage.

Other bad practices identified in the study include driving without shoes (13 per cent), singing while driving (31 per cent) and shockingly, committing sexual acts (8 per cent).

Richard Brown, Commercial Director at The Fuelcard Company said: Whether you’re driving for personal or business reasons, bad habits can take a driver’s attention off the road meaning they can miss potential hazards.

“Some of the habits we identified seem relatively innocent, but we’d urge people to pay attention next time they’re behind the wheel to see exactly how many of these habits they’re guilty of without even realising it – they may be surprised. We’ve conducted this study to stress the importance of paying proper attention when you’re driving, to ultimately make sure our roads are a safe place to be.”

Related Content

  • November 27, 2014
    Report - How safe are you on Britain’s roads?
    The 2014 report from the Road Safety foundation, How safe are you on Britain’s roads? claims that the majority of British road deaths are concentrated on just 10 per cent of the British road network, motorways and 'A' roads outside major urban areas. The report measures and maps the differing risk of death and serious injury road users face across this network, sometimes 20 times or more different. It also tracks which roads have improved, and those with persistent and unacceptable high risks. It highlig
  • May 12, 2014
    New research finds distracted driving on the rise on I-95
    Transurban-Fluor and AAA Mid-Atlantic have released the second annual report on distracted drivers on I-95 in Northern Virginia, which found that despite major construction, distracted driving is a growing problem on the heavily travelled corridor. The report, part of the Orange Cones, No Phones campaign focused on reducing distracted driving in the 95 Express Lanes construction zone, found that the number of frequent I-95 drivers likely to use their cell phone while driving has increased from 56 percent i
  • August 3, 2015
    Europe-bound drivers fail numbers test
    With almost six million of the UK’s motorists expected to head to Europe before the end of 2015, new survey by RAC European Breakdown exposes Britons' ignorance of what to do if in distress on overseas roads. It found that most drivers can't name the European Union (EU)-wide three-digit number to call in emergencies. Only 38% know the correct answer is 112. Worryingly, 10 per cent think the normal UK 111 non-emergency NHS line extends its reach throughout the EU. A further 6 per cent confuse their contin
  • July 15, 2024
    Low-carbon mobility, one village at a time
    Shantha Bloemen of Mobility for Africa, winner of this year's Movmi Empower Women in Shared Mobility Award, talks to Beate Kubitz about creative and practical solutions for transportation in the world’s rural areas – and why investment is still needed