JUDGING from the number of dozy drivers I see on my travels, I am not surprised by the results out this week of research into the behaviour of motorists. This revealed the worrying statistic that drivers only concentrate for two-thirds of their time behin

JUDGING from the number of dozy drivers I see on my travels, I am not surprised by the results out this week of research into the behaviour of motorists.

This revealed the worrying statistic that drivers only concentrate for two-thirds of their time behind the wheel.

That means the average driver who is on the road for 45 minutes a day is in his or her own little world for 17 minutes of that time.

More than six out of 10 of the 4,000 people questioned admitted to "zoning out" while driving, while 59 per cent said they forget parts of their journey.

More than half said they switch to "auto pilot mode" on their daily commute to and from work.

A quarter of people said they believed their short attention span was to blame for their poor driving, with nearly half being disinterested in the road ahead and not being able to concentrate for more than 37 minutes.

Is all this putting you off venturing on the roads ever again?

Here's something else from the survey - 45 per cent of those questioned admitted they had crashed or had a close call due to being distracted while driving.

Tuning the radio, talking to passengers and gawping at the passing scenery were the top three reasons for being distracted. Other dangerous practices include texting, unwrapping a sweet, trying to read a map and singing.

Twenty-five per cent of people said they had scared others with their driving and one in five had feared for their own safety.

But overall, 88 per cent of people still rated themselves as "good drivers".

Another piece of research rolled out this week informs us that over 70 per cent of people state their car does not say anything about them, but a driver's choice of vehicle is in fact intrinsically linked to their personality and lifestyle.

A massive 69 per cent of motorists opted for vehicles in white, a shade which colour therapists claim signifies "a desire for simplicity or the simple life" Drivers of such vehicles are considered to be fastidious and have a need for perfection.

Can I hear you muttering "Twaddle" under your breath?

All I know is that I have never had a white car because they show up the dirt so much, and the last thing I want to do on a Sunday is to wash a car. I have successfully avoided doing that for many years, reasoning that we can always rely on the British weather to do the job for us.

Silver came second in the league table of favourite colours. The so-called experts say it is the epitome of cool, so I suppose it is not surprising that I have never owned a car in that hue. I've been close with a grey car, but I don't think that would count.

Hold on though. Grey is the preferred choice of one per cent of the population and grey drivers (as they describe them) are "searching for composure and peace and often work hard without reward". How true.