A recent UK survey by Continental Tyres has revealed which drivers on the road are seen as the safest, most considerate and least annoying.
It’s found that motorists, cyclists and pedestrians all believe bus drivers to be the safest drivers on the roads.
In a poll consisting of 1,000 each of car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, bus drivers were considered the safest road users by all three groups. But driving for a living doesn’t automatically make you a good driver – van drivers were rated as the least considerate drivers by pedestrians and cars, and the least safe by cyclists.
Taxi drivers didn’t come off particularly well either, being rated the least considerate group by cyclists.
The survey also suggests that road users should walk a mile in each other’s shoes to gain more perspective on considerate driving.
Seven out of 10 cyclists and pedestrians think motorists would be more conscientious and safety aware if they tried other modes of road use, while three out of five car drivers, pedestrians and cyclists think that driver training should include more on awareness and consideration for other road users.
Motorists’ annoying habits were also exposed, with 70 per cent of car drivers saying that the most irritating thing road users do is not signalling. Mobile phone use was also universally panned, with 74 per cent of truck drivers, 60 per cent of car drivers, 55 per cent of pedestrians and 50 per cent of cyclists all calling out the dangerous habit.
Mark Griffiths, safety expert at Continental Tyres which commissioned the survey, said: “It is clear that poor communication is at the root of much of the animosity we see on the road. Failing to signal and using mobile phones while on the road makes journeys more difficult for everyone and breeds contempt when we should all be working together for a safer road network.
“It’s incredibly positive that, despite the everyday annoyances people experience, there is a desire to understand how others use the road.
“As identified in the survey, better training and education is being cried out for by road users.”
