ITALIANS may be famed for their hot and fiery temperaments, but it’s cool-mannered Brits who need to exercise more caution behind the wheel.

In a five-country poll by motor insurer Direct Line, motorists were asked to nominate the worst drivers in Europe. Italy topped the table with 36 per cent of the votes, however the title rightly belongs to the UK where there are more accidents per head than any of the other countries questioned.

Staid Brits came well down the league table of reputedly bad drivers - a sedate number six - but not so France, whose reputation as the second-worst drivers in Europe is in no way borne out by figures.

French drivers have less than half the number of accidents of Brits.

The need for speed was unanimously named as the biggest failing of dangerous motorists (25 per cent), followed closely by erratic driving (18 per cent). At the other end of the spectrum, the title of best driver was awarded to precise and efficient German motorists (27 per cent), undeservedly so as Germans have the second-highest accident rate of the European countries questioned.

Long hours behind the wheel may go some way to explaining the UK’s high accident rate. Direct Line’s research shows UK drivers spend more time on the road than any other motorists - an average of 8.5 hours a week compared to a European average of 7.5 hours.

But it's not through choice. Only 38 per cent of Brits “love” driving - the lowest percentage of the countries questioned - compared to almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of Germans who can’t wait to rev their engines.

Direct Line motor business manager Steve Treloar said: “We’ve got a long way to go to improve driving conditions in the UK. I think the finding that we have one of the worst accident rates in Europe is going to come as a surprise to many motorists.”