A new poll has revealed that 89% of British drivers think the standard of driving in the UK is worse now than it was five years ago.

However, when quizzed in the poll conducted by Auto Express magazine about their own driving standards during the same period, just 15% of the respondents – more than 1,000 readers took part in the online poll – admitted that it was actually worse while 59% believed that their driving had improved.

Commenting on the survey, Steve Fowler, editor in chief of Auto Express, said: “While it’s clear many people are concerned about driving standards getting worse, there’s a reluctance to accept any responsibility.

“Drivers need to be more self-aware, take more pride in their driving and even consider the benefits of additional training.

“Driving can still be great fun, but everyone needs to know their responsibilities to other road-users as well as themselves. A little bit of thought about how we drive can make us safer and even save us cash if we drive more efficiently,” he added.

Supporting the survey’s findings, Prof Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Bad driving isn’t just annoying, it’s also the source of most accidents. Around three quarters of crashes have been because of human error.

“We all like to think the best of our own abilities, but perhaps we should take a good look at ourselves in the rear view mirror and realise that really none of us are perfect drivers.”