RESEARCHERS from Isuzu havepolled the nation's motorists and discovered that almost one in six (15 per cent) admit they are a terrible driver, while four per cent admit they are actually a danger on the roads.

But the worst drivers by car are from Cardiff (35 per cent), London (33 per cent) and Liverpool (31 per cent) - with the highest number admitting they are bad behind the wheel.

In contrast, drivers in Stoke-on-Trent consider themselves to be the safest, as no-one there thinks they are a bad driver. Residents in Nottingham (two per cent), Cambridge (three per cent) and Edinburgh (four per cent) also believe they are among the nation's safest drivers.

Too many cars on the road (36 per cent), too small parking spaces (24 per cent), being easily distracted (20 per cent) and small roads (17 per cent) are the main reasons for poor driving, along with getting bored behind the wheel (14 per cent), cars not having blind spot detection (13 per cent) and attention monitoring sensors (12 per cent).

One in ten (12 per cent) just blame their car for their bad driving, while 11 per cent say not having forward collision warning technology is an issue. Sixper cent simply hate their vehicle and say that their reversing cameras aren't very good (three per cent).

A third (32 per cent) go a step further and wish their car had all the mod-cons to help with their driving, while 36 per cent say that a larger car would make them feel safer when they are behind the wheel.

According to the survey, commissioned by Isuzu's5-star Euro NCAP rated D-Max range which has multiple safety systems available across the range as standard, over half (54 per cent) say they have had an accident because they weren't concentrating. Men admit they are more likely (61 per cent) to have a prang while they aren't paying attention, compared to women (47 per cent).

Twenty per cent say they feel nervous when there are passengers in their car, so much so that one in five (19 per cent) have friends and family who actually refuse to get in a vehicle with them as a result of their questionable driving skills.

More than half (59 per cent) say they have been shouted at or received a rude gesture from another motorist or pedestrian because of a dangerous manoeuvre, with Gen-Z (67 per cent) and Millennials (67 per cent) most likely to be on the receiving end of another driver's anger.

When it comes to the skills they are lacking, four in ten (38 per cent) admit they struggle with parallel parking, while a third (32 per cent) have no idea how to check things like tyre pressure and coolant level.

Parking in a bay (19 per cent), driving within the speed limit (19 per cent), reversing around the corner (17 per cent), remembering to turn the lights in the dark (15 per cent) and checking the mirrors before setting off (11 per cent) are also areas that UK drivers struggle with.

One in ten (11 per cent) say they have no idea how to drive a manual car, with a further tenth (10 per cent) always forgetting to look out for cyclists and motorcyclists. Seven per cent confess they even forget to look out for pedestrians when on the roads.

George Wallis, head of marketing at Isuzu UK, said: "With over 50 million drivers in Great Britain, it is worrying to think that as many as 7.5 million consider themselves bad drivers. It's clear from the research that UK motorists face many challenges on all journeys, from smaller roads, tight parking bays and even their own vehicle.

With one in three saying that having a vehicle with all the mod cons like blind spot detection and attention monitoring sensors would help them to be a better driver."

Two thirds (62 per cent) simply wish they were a better driver.

Some 61 per cent don't think they would pass their driving test again, with over 60s the least confident (63 per cent) about achieving a pass.

The research of 2,000 Britons was commissioned by Isuzu and conducted by Perspectus Global during March 2024.