The global survey, which polled more than 3,000 drivers in 20 countries, found that 53% of British drivers had experienced verbal aggression behind the wheel, 76% had experienced aggressive gestures and 73% had been blocked in the road by another driver. 

These findings put British motorists at the top of the league table when it comes to experiencing aggressive behaviour on the road, ahead of the French, the Czechs and the Germans.

The survey also found that British motorists were guilty of so-called “distracted driving” with eating behind the wheel and making phone calls prominent in the statistics.

The survey results have been published to mark the start of Road Safety Week.

Matt Dyer, managing director at LeasePlan UK, said: ‘What the LeasePlan research has uncovered is that heavily congested roads and busy lives are taking their toll on UK drivers, and this is resulting in worrying levels of poor driver behaviour.

‘At LeasePlan driver safety is our priority, which is why we recently applauded the Government for injecting £15bn into improving our roads. We have long campaigned for more funding to be directed towards this vital part of the nation’s transport infrastructure and we hope that regardless of which party or parties form the next Government, this commitment to a “roads revolution” will be delivered in a timely fashion to benefit UK drivers.’