Around 49 per cent of UK drivers admit they flout traffic regulations, a new survey has found.
While some motorists blamed inattention for breaking the rules, nearly half of those who ignored traffic laws said they did so deliberately because they did not believe they would be caught or because they did not agree with the laws.
The poll from road safety charity Brake and insurance company Direct Line found that 60 per cent of women surveyed and only 42 per cent of men said they never broke road regulations. It was found that men were twice as likely as women to flout the laws because they thought they could get away with it.
The poll of 1000 drivers revealed that drivers are more confident in the safety of their own driving than they were 10 years ago, with 69 per cent rating themselves as safer than most other drivers, up from 50 per cent in 2005.
Young drivers, those aged from 17-24, are most likely to rate their driving as safer than others, with 58 per cent saying they are “much” safer.
When drivers were asked what unsafe behaviour they had witnessed most in the last year, distraction such as from mobile phones was the biggest concern, followed by tailgating, speeding and risky overtaking.
Commenting on the poll results, Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said “As these figures make clear, law breaking on our roads is not just down to a minority but endemic.
“For whatever reason, many seem to feel they are beyond the law or that traffic laws are somehow optional. This represents a failure by government to ensure traffic policing is receiving adequate priority and to make clear the importance and legitimacy of traffic laws.”
Rob Miles, director of motor at Direct Line, said “Drivers continue to flout the rules of the road without realising the devastating impact their actions can have. Traffic laws are there for a reason and breaking them puts lives at risk.”
