Is your city home to the UK’s most annoying drivers?

Whether it’s someone not thanking you for letting them out, or a car trying to sneakily undertake you on the motorway, British roads are full of annoying drivers.

But some types of road behaviour are causing more frustration than others. Our recent research revealed the top 10 driving habits which Brits find annoying, with tailgating topping the list, followed by people not indicating, and leaving their full-beam headlights on.

However, despite so many Brits claiming to find these habits annoying, a whopping 88% of drivers admit to doing at least one of them. But where are these irritating drivers most likely to be found? Which city is home to the UK’s most annoying drivers?

1) Manchester

Manchester has a lot going for it, with an unrivalled music and sporting heritage cementing its place on the world map. But now it has a rather less attractive title to its name, with our research crowning its drivers the most annoying in the country!

A staggering 85% of its road-users admitted to doing at least one of the top 10 annoying habits, which is more than any other city. They are the UK’s worst offenders for tailgating (30%) and undertaking (23%), so perhaps its unsurprising that Mancunians are also the most likely to witness road rage - 81% are victims of it at least once a week!

2) London

The English capital has some of the busiest roads in the country and such traffic chaos appears to be bringing the worst out of its drivers. More than four in five (82%) London drivers have committed at least one of the top 10 annoying habits, with its residents particularly guilty of hogging the outside lane. One in six Londoners (16%) are guilty of sticking in the fast lane - more than people from any other city -  despite over a quarter (26%) of them claiming to find the act infuriating!  

London drivers are also amongst the worst for changing lanes in traffic to try and gain an advantage, with one in five (20%) owning up to the habit. With so much congestion in the capital, maybe such efforts are slightly more forgivable.

3) Leeds

The maze of one-way streets and flyovers can make Leeds a frustrating place to drive, but it’s not just the roads which are causing irritation. Four in five (80%) of the Yorkshire city’s drivers confess to one or more of the annoying habits, with Leeds residents especially prone to not indicating (32%), leaving the full-beam on (19%) and driving at inconsistent speeds (11%).

Worst of all, however, is their habit of not letting other drivers pull out ahead of them. Nearly half (48%) of Leeds folk admit to such an act - more than those in any other UK city.

3) Southampton (Joint Third!)

In joint third is the coastal city of Southampton, with the sea air clearly not having the expected calming effect on its drivers. Like Leeds, 80% of its residents admit to previously committing one of the most annoying habits.

Visitors to the Hampshire city should prepare to be patient when on the road, as Sotonians are amongst the worst in the UK for not driving at the full speed limit (53%) and not overtaking slow moving vehicles (15%).

Furthermore, no other city’s residents are as guilty of leaving their full-beam headlights on, with over a quarter (28%) admitting to blinding oncoming traffic.

5) Nottingham

Completing the top five is Nottingham, with more than three quarters (78%) of its drivers being culpable of at least one of the annoying road behaviours.

Its residents are some of the most likely to brake late when coming to a stop, potentially causing issues for following vehicles. More than one in seven (15%) are guilty of the habit, but as 40% of Nottingham drivers fail to drive at the full speed limit, perhaps there’s less need to brake early!

We have tracks in all five of these annoying cities, so if you’re fed up of irritating drivers and want to blow off some steam, why not head down to one of our venues? Just don’t expect anyone to be indicating or letting you out!

As seen in...

The Sun, Daily Express, Daily Mail, The Metro as well as many other online regional news websites.