AUSTRALIAN drivers have been labelled a cocky bunch with most saying they are great behind the wheel, new research has found.
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Wagga driving instructor Glen Gaudron says it is okay for drivers to toot their own - figurative - horn, so long as they show those good practices on the road.
Tailgating, changing lanes without indicating, leaving high-beams on and dodgy parking were found to be drivers' biggest frustrations - all of which are happening far too often in Wagga says Mr Gaudron.
He added two more bad driving practices for the list, including turning fog lights on without foggy conditions and cutting off towing vehicles.
"I see drivers on dual carriageways cut straight in front of towing vehicles, especially caravans and trucks. It's extremely dangerous because what they don't realise is the braking distance is a lot slower than a normal car," he said.
Although these practices have drivers seeing red, three-quarters of them have admitted they are guilty of the same road sins that gets them worked up, the survey of more than 1000 drivers found.
The Millennial generation was voted the most annoying drivers on the road, followed closely by P-platers in second place.
Mr Gaudron, however, disagrees with this result, believing a generation and a P-plate does not make a driver annoying.
"There are good drivers and then there are bad ones. The key is to re-examine them all," he said.
Almost half of those surveyed indicated they were bad drivers at times, with 33 per cent saying they picked up bad habits since passing their first driving test.
"At the moment, when a person reaches 85 years old they are tested every two years. If we do this with P-platers you'll find many will not get their license renewed," Mr Gaudron said.
"We teach them the best we can, but they choose to forget everything as they drive off.
"A classic example was when I saw a person pass their hazard perception test and as they drove off, the driver tailgated me and weaved around the lane."
Mr Gaudron said creating good drivers - and removing annoyances off the road - starts from the first time a person gets behind a wheel.
"Parents are not doing their kids any favours by falsifying a log book. They are putting their child on the road without driving experience and that's a risk," he said.
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