By SOPHIE CARLIN, TRAINEE REPORTER
If you have found yourself beeping your car horn or shouting through the windscreen at other drivers a lot recently – you are not alone.
Nearly seven in ten motorists think standards have got worse on the roads over the last five years, a poll has found.
Tailgating was voted the most hated habit – with an alarming eight in ten saying they frequently witness the dangerous behaviour which causes an estimated 147 deaths in England each year.
Using a mobile phone at the wheel and failing to indicate are also among the nation's most irritating driving habits.
A shocking 60 per cent of motorists said they have often seen other road users on their phone while driving - which is illegal, even if the device is in a cradle.
Meanwhile, late or no indication - which, amazingly, is not mandatory but rather simply advised in the Highway Code - was spotted on every journey made by more than a third (35 per cent) of drivers.
Some 69 per cent believe driving standards have worsened in the last five years, according to the survey of more than 1,100 drivers for consumer group Which?.
A mere three per cent, meanwhile, think they have improved.
If you have found yourself beeping your car horn or shouting through the windscreen at other drivers a lot recently – you are not alone. Pictured: File photo
Michael Passingham, Which? cars expert, said: 'Tailgating or using a mobile phone while driving aren't just irritating and irresponsible, they're often dangerous as well.
'If you see someone using their phone or you are being followed by a tailgater – give them a wide berth and make sure you have an escape route, especially if you're on a faster road with traffic building up.'
Other downright dangerous habits drivers pointed out included more obviously risky selections like speeding or dazzling headlights, which are both illegal.
But other less self-evident choices included middle lane hogging, which can cause other drivers to become frustrated and unsafely overtake out of impatience.
Police can issue fines for taking up the middle lane - but Which? notes: 'It's unlikely most people will ever see those consequences.'
The consumer choice firm recommended: 'Never undertake someone who's hogging the middle lane; they may be about to switch back to the left lane (probably without indicating) and won't expect for a car to have filled the gap.
'Instead, drop back and wait for an opening in the lane to the right. Or, if you're feeling patient, drop into the left lane and wait for the problem to resolve itself.'
As to becoming dazzled by headlights, it advised: 'Safely slow down until you can see clearly again.
Nearly seven in ten motorists think standards have got worse on the roads over the last five years, a poll has found - and tailgating (pictured, file photo) was voted the most hated habit
'It's tempting to flash full-beam abusers but this could make things worse and dazzle other oncoming road users.'
It comes as the number of people committing driving offences hits a ten-year high, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
There were a whopping 753,000 motoring prosecutions last year - also a three per cent increase on 2023.
In particular, speeding and causing serious injury by dangerous driving appear to be getting worse and worse.
The number of cases of those breaking the speed limit was up by 58,000 last year, compared to the figure recorded ten years before.
Meanwhile, some 1,426 more drivers caused serious injuries from driving dangerously in the same period.
And horrifyingly, when it comes to motorists using their mobile phone behind the wheel, it is those in vans and HGVs who are most often the culprits.
Drivers of these larger, heavier vehicles, used primarily for business, outranked all other kinds, in the latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures, from autumn 2023.
