Driver inattention the biggest annoyance - AA Insurance

Driver inattention is the one thing that is most likely to spark an outbreak of road rage. Photo / Thinkstock

Inattentive drivers are the major frustration to New Zealand motorists, an AA Insurance poll has found.

Releasing results of a poll of 3550 people aged between 18 and 65, AA Insurance head of operations Martin Fox said motorists who did not pay attention to the road put themselves and other users at risk.

Drivers who were not courteous while changing lanes or merging were the second biggest frustration.

Those who did not indicate, or continued to indicate after they needed to, ranked third most-frustrating.

"It is up to all motorists to be vigilant and accommodating of other road users, especially as winter approaches and the roads become wet and icy in places," Mr Fox said.

Last year's biggest frustration, driving while using a mobile phone, fell 23 places in the 2011 survey.

"Although drivers who text and talk on the phone no longer rank highly in the survey, our claims experience confirms it is still happening," Mr Fox said.

Other frustrations listed in annoyance order were drivers who:

* don't dip their lights for oncoming traffic at night;

* increase their speed at a passing lane so you can't pass and/or slow down after the passing lane;

* don't pull over to allow others to pass;

* turn corners from the wrong lanes;

* follow too closely;

* park very near an intersection and compromise visibility;

* block intersections to get through a phase of lights.

- NZPA