37% of motorists are unaware that flashing your lights to warn of upcoming speed traps could land you with a £1,000 fine
- Waving to say thank you is the most common driving courtesy in the UK (63%)
- Drivers aged 25-34 are the most frustrated by uncourteous drivers (94%)
- Motorists in Norwich (75%) and Cardiff (73%) are the most likely to consider themselves polite drivers
New research from comparethemarket.com has revealed the most common driving courtesies in the UK, some of which could see motorists hit with hefty fines.
Waving to say thank you is the UK’s most common driving courtesy
According to motorists, the most common driving courtesy is waving to say thank you, as nearly two-thirds of drivers (63%) do so. Turning off your full beam when other drivers are coming towards you (60%) and giving more room to learners (50%) follow as the second and third most common.
| Driving courtesy | Percentage of drivers that abide by the courtesy |
| Waving to say thank you | 63% |
| Turning your full beam off when other drivers are coming towards you | 60% |
| Giving more room to learner drivers | 50% |
| Flashing your headlights to say thank you | 42% |
| Keeping your speed consistent when around other drivers | 37% |
| Putting your hazards on to say thank you to someone behind you | 35% |
37% of motorists are unaware that flashing your lights to warn of upcoming speed traps can land you with a £1,000 fine
The study revealed that only 37% of drivers knew that flashing your lights to let other motorists know of an oncoming speed camera is illegal, and could land them with a fine.
| Courtesy | Fine | Points |
| Flashing your lights to warn others of upcoming speed cameras/speed traps | £1,000 | 3 |
| Beeping your horn when going around tight bends | £1,000 | 0 |
| Using your hazard lights to say thank you to someone behind you | Unlimited | 9 |
Motorists in Norwich are most likely to consider their driving affable
Three-quarters (75%) of motorists in Norwich believe they’re courteous drivers ‘at all times’. Cardiff and Belfast followed closely behind with 73%.
Plymouth (57%), Edinburgh (61%) and Newcastle (61%) came out the bottom with the least drivers believing that they’re courteous road users.
Younger drivers are most frustrated by ill-mannered drivers
Drivers aged 25-34 get frustrated the most when other drivers aren’t polite, with 94% saying they get frustrated by uncourteous drivers, compared to 76% of those aged 55 and over.
Only 1.7% of all motorists say they never feel frustrated with other drivers for not being courteous.
Please find the full research here: https://www.comparethemarket.com/car-insurance/content/unofficial-rules-of-the-road/