Motoring latest: Is the UK a nation of horn hogs tooting from the same hymn sheet - or are motorists a motley crew of confused communicators risking collisions with misleading signals?

With millions of vehicles out on the road communication between road users has never been so important. A toot of the horn or a raised hand can avert road rage - or provoke it especially if an American is driving in the UK as 35% of them use the horn in reaction to bad driving, and 8% use obscene gestures to make their feelings known,

So the RAC Foundation is commissioning a survey "Behind the wheel - communicating with other road users” that asks motorists and other road users about the ways in which they communicate with each other - and their reaction when they are on the receiving end.

Toots, hoots and waves are all part of the unofficial language of the motorist - but are easily misinterpreted with potentially disastrous results.

The RAC feels that this survey will give a better understanding of how the nation communicates whilst out on the road.

Does this really warrant a survey or is it blatantly obvious that hand signals are no longer used for a change in direction and the beeping of a horn is not to alert the driver of your oncoming presence but ‘open your eyes mate, I’m right here’.

FemaleFirst - Jackie Violet