Young motorists are well known for their propensity for having car accidents - a fact which young driver car insurance firms are particularly familiar with. It is little surprise, therefore, that this much-maligned group has now been found to be pedestrians' most feared type of road user.
In a survey carried out by motor insurance company Royal & SunAlliance which examined driver attitudes and stereotypes, just under a quarter of pedestrians (24%) voted that they thought young drivers are the most dangerous drivers on the roads.
However, it was not all bad news for young drivers. When road users were interviewed in the study, they did not report the young as being the biggest safety threat.
Instead, motorists revealed their belief that it is commercial drivers, such as lorry drivers and van drivers, who are the biggest menace on the roads.
It seems that road users are spot on too, with the majority (60%) of accidents involving vans being deemed to be the fault of the van driver, according to the motor insurance industry giant.
Mike Page, spokesman for specialist young driver car insurance firm Hoot Car Insurance Services, said: "Well it is nice to know that those who drive side by side with young drivers recognise that they aren't as bad as their reputation might suggest.
"However, this research does make me wonder if young van drivers are the most feared group of all," he pondered.