UK drivers are adopting their own version of the Highway Code in a bid to save time, according to new research published today.

The poll, conducted by Total UK, quizzed more than 2,000 drivers nationwide about their habits behind the wheel.

Nearly half of the people questioned in the survey (48%) admitted that they would park on a double yellow line if they had an urgent letter to post and the post office was shutting in five minutes, risking the wrath of the traffic warden. Around a quarter of people (24%) would also risk points on their licence and a speeding fine by running through a speed camera if they were late for a job interview.

When it comes to damaging their own vehicle UK’s drivers are again willing to risk costly repairs if the perceived benefits outweigh the costs. Just over a quarter of drivers (28%) would continue driving on an empty tank if they had a table booked at a sought after restaurant and were already half an hour late. In addition, 16% of drivers would risk damaging their car by driving too fast over speed bumps.

Bad driving manners also seem to mean a lack of consideration for the safety and comfort of fellow drivers. 30% of drivers said they would tailgate the driver in front to stop others cutting in ahead of them in a jam and nearly one in four (25%) would park in a disabled bay when picking up bare essentials at a supermarket if all other spaces were full up.