Nearly a half of lorry drivers (43%) have been involved in as many as 30 road rage incidents in the past year, according to a new survey issued by Autoglass today.

A quarter (25%) of van drivers also admitted they had been caught up in between 11 to 30 confrontations in the last 12 months with 34% saying they had endured highway aggression between six to 10 times. Car drivers seemed to fare better with 37% saying they had clashed with other road users up to five times.

At the same time, many of those surveyed confessed to breaking the speed limit regularly with 22% of car drivers, 18% of van drivers and 11% of truckers speeding multiple times a week.

The poll of 2,000 drivers, carried out by the UK’s leading vehicle glass repair and replacement specialist, also revealed that elderly motorists (33%) and cyclists (30%) were the main bugbears for most road users.

Autoglass said the findings pointed to a clear correlation between rising stress levels on the road and driving too fast.

Matthew Mycock, managing director at Autoglass, said: “The survey shows an alarming frequency of road rage incidents and speeding in the UK.

“If you are dashing around and breaking the speed limit on a regular basis, the chances are that you will become more exasperated and lose your temper – as well as endangering yourself and other motorists.”

“Driving on Britain’s congested roads can be a stressful experience at the best of times – especially if you have work deadlines to meet. However, motorists can make things more tolerable by sticking to the rules and accepting that there are all sorts of people with differing driving standards and habits out there.”