BMW drivers have been voted the rudest motorists on Britain’s roads

BMW drivers have been voted the rudest motorists on Britain’s roads, followed closely by those behind the wheels of Audis.

The results come from a nationwide survey, with BMW drivers voted by 50 per cent of those polled as the most impolite, with Audis drivers garnering 28 per cent of the vote.

The rest of the top five in the ranking comprises Mercedes-Benz drivers (third, 17 per cent), Land Drover drivers (fourth, 15 per cent) and Porsche owners (fifth, 11 per cent).

On the other side of the coin, Ford drivers were voted the politest with 21 per cent of the vote, followed by Kia (16 per cent), Toyota (15 per cent) and Nissan owners (15 per cent).

The data reveals that BMW drivers are the most likely to hog the middle lane (38 per cent), brake suddenly to scare the person behind them (34 per cent), overtake (25 per cent), and not merge until the very last minute (35 per cent).

BMW drivers have been voted the rudest motorists on Britain’s roads

Audi drivers have been voted the second-worst drivers on Britain’s roads

If that wasn’t rude enough, they are also considered the drivers who would honk at someone for driving too slowly (37 per cent), pip the horn as soon as the traffic lights change to green (36 per cent), give the middle finger (38 per cent), and not pull over for emergency vehicles (31 per cent).

According to the data, when it comes to the nation’s biggest driving pet peeves – braking suddenly to scare the person behind you (51 per cent), tailgating (50 per cent), not pulling over for emergency vehicles (44 per cent) and overtaking then going slowly (41 per cent) top the list.

Four in ten (40 per cent) hate to see people throw rubbish out of their window, while 39 per cent despise those who give the middle finger, according to the poll of 2,000 people by car and van insurance firm GoShorty.

Middle-lane hogging (38 per cent), parking in a disabled bay when you’re not disabled (37 per cent), driving to the front of a merge lane and then pushing in (37 per cent) and not merging in until the last minute (35 per cent) are also considered unpleasant acts when behind the wheel.

Four in ten (40 per cent) say they regularly experience rude behaviour on the country’s roads – an average of six times a week, even though more than half (58 per cent) claim to be a polite driver, suggesting a disconnect between car drivers’ attitudes and behaviours.

Two thirds (61 per cent) admit they have acted aggressively behind the wheel themselves, an average of six times a week, and three quarters (76 per cent) regret it immediately.

More than half (58 per cent) agree that the brand of car doesn’t matter and that it’s the person behind the wheel that is at fault.

Three quarters (70 per cent) think that driving is more stressful now than five years ago, with one in three (30 per cent) wishing that driving was more fun.

Ford drivers were voted the politest on British roads, with 21 per cent of the vote

Kia drivers have been voted the second most well-behaved on British roads

Aggressive drivers (48 per cent), pushy drivers (32 per cent), too much traffic (30 per cent) and rude drivers (29 per cent) are the main reasons for stepping back from driving, along with too many road works and diversions (16 per cent) and finding driving incredibly stressful (15 per cent).

A fifth (18 per cent) believe that you have to put yourself first when driving and that you have to be aggressive to get anywhere (15 per cent).

Four in ten (45 per cent) avoid driving in cities if they can, with a further half (47 per cent) admitting that city driving is a different type of driving altogether.

When it comes to where the anti-social behaviour has come from, one in three (36 per cent) have been picked up from other drivers, while 21 per cent say it has come from a parent or family member.

Seven per cent picked it up from social media, with a further four per cent blaming their driving instructor.

Aside from rude drivers, potholes (23 per cent), traffic jams (20 per cent), people not using indicators (13 per cent) and slow drivers (11 per cent) are the most irritating parts of driving.

A quarter (22 per cent) admit that they are more likely to be rude when driving someone else’s car.

Andy Moody, Founder and Managing Director of GoShorty, said: ‘Sadly, our powers cannot make the UK’s rudest drivers more considerate on the road, but we can help save you money with more efficient insurance options.’