Drivers reminiscing about what advice they wish they had had as a new driver are most likely to spout warnings about ‘idiots’ on the roads, according to the AA Driving School.

The second most common piece of worldly wisdom they wish they could pass back to their younger selves was about taking a motorway or advanced driving lesson.

Completing the top three, in the open text question, was advice around speed and not going too fast.

Some of the comments included “Regard every other road user as a potentially dangerous idiot”, “Keep learning and consider taking an advanced test” and “Keep your distance high and your speed low” were just some of the answers on these themes. 

Jim Kirkwood, managing director of the AA Driving School, said: “The benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing and it is interesting to see how drivers would use it to warn their younger selves about the realities of driving.

“Although everyone gets irritated with other drivers sometimes and it always pays to be aware of how other drivers may behave, you should be careful not to let this spill over into animosity.

“What’s also interesting is how many of the top topics relate to very fundamental parts of safe driving, such as speed and watching out for vulnerable road users.

“Thinking back to what you wish you had known at the start of your driving life can be a useful way of helping you make small improvements to your driving now.”