Tailgating has been rated the most irritating driving habit by UK motorists.

Vehicles driven too close to the car in front frustrate more than a quarter of drivers, according to a poll of more than 20,000 AA members.

Talking on a mobile while driving was found to be the second most irritating habit, followed by middle lane hogging.

Driving too slowly, cutting in at the last minute, overtaking on the inside and speeding are not as unpopular among motorists, according to the research.

In August 2013, the coalition government gave police new powers which allow officers to issue fines for careless driving such as tailgating and misuse of the middle lane of a motorway.

MORE: Tailgating at its worst in east of EnglandBut since their introduction, only 61 drivers in the east of England have been caught tailgating by police with the national figure hitting 260.

This is despite research from car savings site Confused.com stating that 45pc of drivers in the east of England are being tailgated at least once a week.

Nationally around 8,000 tickets have been issued for careless driving violations compared with more than 55,000 for people not wearing a seatbelt.

The number of specialist traffic police officers fell by 39pc between 2005 and 2014, which the AA believes could explain why more fines have not been handed out.

AA roads policy spokesperson Jack Cousens said: 'Tailgating and hogging the middle lane is not only annoying but dangerous.

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'Unfortunately, the number of specialist traffic officers has been cut since 2005, which has meant the police powers introduced three-and-a-half years ago have had a limited impact.

'The behaviour of other drivers can affect your own driving, so it is best to stay calm and focus on what you are doing. Getting frustrated with the actions of others could mean you make just as big an error.'