Bus drivers are considered the safest on the road, while van drivers and cyclists are among the least popular, according to new research.

A survey by Continental tires found that drivers, pedestrians and cyclists all said bus drivers were the safest road users, while drivers and pedestrians deemed cyclists the ‘least safe’ and ‘most annoying’.

Cyclists, meanwhile, said they considered van drivers to be the most annoying road users, while pedestrians and drivers said white van drivers were the ‘least considerate’ group on Britain’s roads. However, the study found that many of the problems between road users were due to a lack of communication.

Seven out of 10 drivers said failing to signal was the most annoying habit on the roads, while three out of five pedestrians and cyclists agreed.

Mobile phone use was also a key concern, with 74 percent of HGV drivers and 60 percent of car drivers saying the practise was a pet hate. However, all the groups surveyed said better training would help the situation, with around 60 percent of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians claiming that driver training should include more awareness and consideration content.

Mark Griffiths, safety expert at Continental Tyres, said: ‘It is clear that poor communication is at the root of much of the animosity we see on the road. Failing to signal and using mobile phones while on the road makes journeys more difficult for everyone and breeds contempt when we should all be working together for a safer road network.’

‘It’s incredibly positive that, despite the everyday annoyances people experience, there is a desire to understand how others use the road.

‘As identified in the survey, better training and education is being cried out for by road users. Simply by sharing the same space, road users are unavoidably connected.’

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