There were some 207,410 accidents on our roads in 2004, which sadly is not surprising when you examine the number of bad driving habits motorists admit to. Sainsbury’s Car Insurance research indicates that 78% (over 21 million) of motorists have engaged in potentially dangerous activities whilst driving over the last month. Driving whilst tired was the most frequent occurrence with 41% of motorists admitting to it, this is followed by eating or drinking whilst driving and excessive speeding.

Bad driving habits are not just potentially hazardous. Many are also illegal. Indeed 22% of motorists admitted to driving their cars ‘the day after the night before’, possibly unaware they may still be driving over the legal alcohol limit. Additionally over four million motorists confessed to using a mobile phone that is not hands-free, an act that has been illegal since 1st December 2003. One in ten drivers said they inflicted road rage on a fellow motorist.

Many motorists may not be aware that bad habits can seriously increase the risk of an accident, and in some cases be life threatening – even the use of second hand car child seats which 586,000 motorists admit to using. The bank, which is calling for a ban on selling second hand car seats, says they are very dangerous because it is impossible to know if they have previously been damaged in an accident. The bank is one of only few providers to offer new for old replacement seats after an accident as a standard feature of its car insurance policy, even when there is no perceived damage.

The research also indicates that men were far worse perpetrators of bad driving behaviour than their female counterparts. In fact, at least 12.9 million male motorists are likely to undertake potentially dangerous activity whilst driving, in comparison to around nine million women. Drivers in the Greater London area admitted to the most bad driving habits, with at least 84% engaging in a possible dangerous act, in comparison to 75% of motorists in the South East and East Angliaand Walesand the West.

Joanne Mallon, car insurance manager, Sainsbury’s Bank said: “We all have a few bad habits but some of these can be more dangerous than we think. We hope these findings will make motorists think about their behaviour when behind the wheel and encourage them to break their bad habits, especially those that have more than one.”