The results are in and new survey data has revealed that tailgating is Australia’s most annoying driving habit. EzLicence, a driving lesson booking platform, surveyed more than 1000 Australians to uncover the driving behaviours they find most annoying and concerning, and has ranked the top five by overall frustration.

Using a wide range of respondents with varying ages, genders and even locations in Australia, the EzLicence survey found some notable results, including:

  • Tailgating narrowly edged out failing to use indicators as Australia’s most frustrating driving behaviour, with almost one in four Australians (23.3 per cent) naming it as their biggest road annoyance.
  • Sitting unnecessarily in the right or middle lane ranked as the third most annoying behaviour overall, highlighting frustrations around traffic flow and lane discipline. Dangerous driving behaviours also featured prominently, with aggressive driving and using a phone while driving both making the national top five.
  • Women were more likely to be frustrated by drivers who fail to indicate, with 23.5 per cent ranking it as their top pet peeve, compared with 20.7 per cent of men. Men were more likely than women to be irritated by tailgating, with almost a quarter (24.8 per cent) naming it as the driving habit they dislike most.
  • Women were more likely to be concerned by aggressive driving, ranking third overall (12.1 per cent), while men were more bothered by motorists sitting unnecessarily in the right or middle lane (13.6 per cent).
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Top 5 most annoying driving habits in Australia:

  • 1: Tailgating (23.3 per cent)
  • 2: Failing to use indicators (22.1 per cent)
  • 3: Sitting in the right/middle lane unnecessarily (11.4 per cent)
  • 3: Aggressive driving (9.9 per cent)
  • 4: Using a phone while driving (8.8 per cent)

Peter Davis, CEO of the EzLicence Instructor Academy, comments: “Many of the driving behaviours Australians find most frustrating, such as failing to indicate and tailgating, are habits that can be picked up early when learning to drive. While practising with family and friends is valuable, learners can also adopt bad habits without realising it. Professional driving lessons help ensure drivers are taught safe, up-to-date techniques and good road etiquette from the start.”