The research found that only 60% of drivers say they concentrate behind the wheel, with nearly a quarter of drivers (24 per cent) stating daydreaming as the most common reason. Other reasons given for not concentrating include stress (22%), thinking about what you will be doing when you arrive (21%) and thinking about family, friends and personal relationships (21%).

The research also found that younger drivers were most guilty of lapses of concentration, with 50% of younger drivers aged 18-24 admitting to this and 47% of 24-34 year-olds.

In contrast, 73% of over 65 year-olds say they concentrate on the road all of the time that they are driving and 26% said that they concentrate most of the time.

Londoners are most likely to be distracted while driving, with 47% admitting to not concentrating one hundred per cent on the road.  Yorkshire and Humberside, the South West and Scotland were not far behind with 46%.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: ‘Signs of not concentrating such as missed turnings or uncancelled indicator lights are commonplace. Simply not concentrating is a key cause of crashes yet it is not borne out in statistics because drivers rarely admit to it in police reports or on insurance forms.’

‘These results reconfirm stereotypes surrounding younger drivers and the ease with which they can be distracted away from staying safe. The key is to build up as wide a range of experiences as possible as you learn and to look upon your driving as a skill that needs continuous improvement.’