Irish not the most courteous of drivers

Only 20% of drivers are considerate enough to let other motorists in or out of traffic in front of them, according to a survey by tyre manufacturer, Semperit.

The survey was conducted by observing the behaviour of 500 motorists at several sites in the Dublin area.  Men aged between 40 and 50 were the most likely to give other drivers a helping hand, whereas women below 30 tended to be the most courteous towards other motorists.

Smug drivers of luxury cars were significantly less likely to let someone in than the general motoring population.

On a more positive note, the vast majority of drivers (77%) signal their appreciation when a fellow motorist has done them a good turn.  Previous surveys have shown that failing to acknowledge a good deed with a wave or a flash of lights is one of the biggest pet hates among drivers. (This still leaves almost a quarter of motorists in the 'ungrateful sods category).

The roadside survey was carried out by Semperit as part of its “Pass it on!” courtesy campaign. The campaign was launched earlier this year with a guide for drivers highlighting ten simple ways in which they can show more courtesy and understanding towards other road users.  The objective of the campaign is to encourage drivers to be more thoughtful and to ‘pass on’ the kind gestures of other drivers.

Tips

The ten tips include a number of courtesy or common sense based suggestions such as:

• letting other drivers into the traffic
• leaving plenty of space between you and the car in front
• always saying ‘thanks’ if someone does you a good turn
• being thoughtful about how and where you park
• being extra patient around learner-drivers

“It is disappointing that only one in five drivers were shown to be courteous in our survey. However, courtesy on the road creates a virtuous circle, drivers who receive it are much more likely to pass it on,” said Paddy Murphy of Semperit Ireland. “Above all, courtesy ultimately contributes to safety on the road and that is the serious side to our ‘Pass it on!’ campaign.

"There’s a lot of stress on the roads of Ireland, and of course a lot of that stress is caused by things we can’t change like heavy traffic and roadworks, but one thing we can do to ease the tension is simply be more considerate to each other."