Nearly half of UK motorists name white van men as the most aggravating drivers on the road in a new survey by motors.co.uk.
Of the 2,300 respondents 45% said white van men were the most annoying motorists in the UK, followed closely by another stereotype, the school-run Mum in her 4×4.
The survey follows another survey in which white van owners themselves were quizzed regarding their image. Tesco Bank found that 70% of van drivers reject the stereotype, saying that they have never shouted at or had altercations with other drivers and almost three-quarters (74%) said they took pride in their van’s appearance, boasting they have no dents or scratches.
The company puts this down to an increase in female van drivers, Julie Hopes, Managing Director, Insurance at Tesco Bank, explains: “While white remains the colour of choice for commercial vans (30%), our research has firmly dispelled the outdated White Van Man stereotype. And with more and more women running their own business, an increasing number of female van drivers are taking to the roads.”
The motors.co.uk ‘Emotional Response to Driving’ survey found drivers of expensive cars to be another pet-hate – a total of 27% revealed that BMWs annoyed them, while 19% said the same of Range Rovers. However, drivers of Renaults, Fiats and Toyotas were most likeable.
Some of the biggest irritations listed by UK drivers were people cutting them up (54%) and slow driving (30%). Other causes of road rage include taxi drivers (34%), OAPs (32%) and cyclists (32%). Whilst more unusual triggers to get drivers’ blood boiling included, Baby on Board stickers (5%), hearing politicians on the radio (4%) and having to slow down for lollipop ladies and children (2%).
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