According to new research from car insurance provider Allianz Your Cover, a third of commuters don’t feel guilty about driving dangerously or being distracted on the road.

A fifth of drivers (21%) blame their habits on other commuters.

The top five bad commuter behaviours are:

  • Speeding (30%)
  • Careless driving (14%)
  • Travelling too fast for the conditions (14%)
  • Tailgating (13%)
  • Not looking when changing lanes (13%)

Commuters may however have been twisting the truth about their bad habits, as although nearly a third (30%) admitted to speeding, more than half (55%) have seen other drivers exceed the speed limit as well as;

  • 5% admit they have jumped a red light – 38% have seen other commuters do this
  • 4% have applied make-up – 22% have seen other commuters do this
  • 2% say they failed to stop at a give way sign – 22% have seen other commuters do this

More than half of British commuters (52%) are in too much of a hurry to drive safely and are blaming their bad driving on a lack of concentration (30%) and being tired (27%). The commuting environment impacts the workplace as almost half of drivers (43%) believe that their commute affects their mood and can negatively impact their work.

Natalie Woods, of Allianz Your Cover Insurance said: “Our research found that British commuters feel they drive carelessly during their journeys due to rushing and tiredness. This is supported by police road accident statistics which show that 46%* of accidents can be attributed to careless driving. We urge drivers to take a careful and considerate approach to their driving in order to reduce accident rates and improve the experience of all their fellow commuters and drivers. One in ten (13%) have witnessed an accident on their way to work – not the kind of start to the day anybody would want.”

Despite witnessing the bad habits of their fellow commuters, one in four (27%) hope that a driver would stop to help them if they were in need, a lot less (15%) have actually pulled over to help. The main reason for continuing their commute instead of helping a fellow commuter is to avoid being put in danger (43%). With safety being top priority breakdown services can help out those in need enabling other drivers to continue their journey. Other reasons given for not stopping to help fellow commuters are not knowing how to help (27%), followed by being in a rush (27%).

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