A NATIONAL survey by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has revealed that the single worst driving habit on UK roads is steering with one hand while using a hand-held mobile phone. The survey of IAM UK wide delegates, representing the IAM's 100,000 plus advanced driver members, disclosed the top driving gripes across the country.

The most common driving fault - at 34 per cent - was using a hand-held mobile phone, followed closely by "lane hog" drivers, who refuse to move into the correct lane on motorways and dual carriageways, at 33 per cent. In third place came "the tailgaters" - drivers who are too close to the vehicle in front (21 per cent).

A wide selection of other irritants, such as speeding regardless of the conditions and driving with fog lights in clear conditions, made up the remaining 12 per cent.

Christopher Bullock, IAM chief executive, said: "We did this survey two years ago and it is a sad reflection on the attitude of drivers that mobile phone abuse has since moved up the list of driver irritants. Is that phone call so urgent that it's worth risking your life, let alone the lives of others?" he asked.