Slow drivers 'are among most dangerous on roads' and cause crashes

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Updated:

Slow drivers are one of the biggest dangers on the road and should be treated like speeders, a report says today.

Nearly a third of motorists have had a 'near miss' caused by someone travelling slowly.

These drivers create such frustration that six out of ten motorists feel stress rise and about half are tempted to 'undertake'.

Stressful: Slow drivers cause six out of ten motorists into temptation to undertake

Stressful: Slow drivers cause six out of ten motorists into temptation to undertake

It has led to calls for a crackdown on slow drivers including the setting of minimum limits or even ‘slow speed’ cameras.

Transport Department figures show 143 accidents a year are caused directly by slow drivers.

The report from insurer Confused.com coincides with the Government’s deadline today for police and councils to publish prosecution and casualty data on speed cameras to see if they do save lives or just raise cash.

The report notes: ’In reaction to these slow drivers, almost half (45%) of motorists risk overtaking, thus increasing the chances of an accident.

'Although minimum speed limits are enforced on some UK motorways, there are few preventative measures that are used widely.'

In 2011 the government introduced a scheme which allows for £100 on-the-spot fine for careless driving-including those that drive too slow, though there is little evidence of this being taken seriously by the authorities.

More than a quarter (27 per cent)  of drivers questioned want an explicit ‘ slow lane’ on roads to combat slow drivers.

Hot-spots for low middle lane hogs include the main A3 road between Surrey and Hampshire and the capital.

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