Last year, a poll conducted by a price comparison service revealed that old drivers were the worst type of drivers on the road, followed by "boy racers," with white van drivers falling into third place as the UK's worst driver.
Approximately 21,000 motorists participated in the poll.
A spokesperson said: "According to our research, outdated myths are still prevalent - most think men are better drivers than women and old drivers are the worst."
However, a year later, van drivers are now being criticised for being the "worst on the roads" according to a recent poll by the same price comparison service.
With the number of van drivers having had soared by approximately 40 per cent within the past ten years, over three million registered light commercial vehicles are now travelling across Britain's roads.
White van man
And with the "white van man," (a term used to describe rude and reckless van drivers), being considered as the worst on the roads by 100 per cent of 1,500 UK motorists who participated in the poll, the insurance premiums for other motorists could be pushed up as a result.
And they may be more likely to see their premiums increase even further as they could be more likely to be involved in a road accident compared to other motorists.
According to the poll, the white van man was voted the worst on the road, compared to young drivers, old drivers, and school-run mothers, while bus drivers and lorry drivers were voted the best of the bunch.
A spokesperson Matt Thompson, marketing director of the comparison service said: "It's good that most motorists recognise bad driving habits, both in themselves and other road users."
"However, the important thing is that motorists change these bad driving habits, because with the rising cost of motoring, it is well worth driving responsibly to stay safe and ensure your insurance premiums stay low," he warned.
He added that drivers "must report all points on [their] license to [their] insurance company, otherwise [their] policy could be invalidated."
However, research from June 2008 by Tesco van insurance revealed that van drivers are in fact safer drivers.
Fewer claims from van drivers
The study found that van drivers make fewer and smaller insurance claims compared to other motorists.
Allan Burns, of Tesco Van Insurance said: "Van drivers are often stereotyped as rogues of the road however, our own records show that van drivers are actually very safe drivers and in our eyes they deserve a good insurance rate."
The firm claimed that van drivers are in fact, skilled drivers with one in five having had taken an advanced driving course or specialist training.
Earlier this year, a study by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, (ROSPA), revealed that a new driving at work qualification would be welcomed by employers.
Having the qualification would aim to reduce the price of van insurance claims for businesses as the number of road accidents related to work may be reduced.
Duncan Vernon, the road safety manager of ROSPA, said: "Our research found that there is a clear skills and training gap. Young workers are being required to drive vehicles, and in conditions and situations, in which they have limited, if any, prior experience."
