We sometimes don’t know how lucky we are in the UK – particularly when it comes to driving.

The phenomenon of ‘road rage’ has embedded itself in our collective consciousness, cemented by regular new incidents of automotive anger – such as the mid-traffic punch-up last week, recorded on one motorist’s dashcam.

But such behaviour is shocking because it is rare.

And in terms of accidents, the UK is one of the safest places in the world to drive.

This was brought home to me on a recent holiday in Thailand, where I rented a motorbike in order to visit Phu Tok, a famous temple perched on a huge rock in the Esan jungle.

It was 113 miles to the temple from my base in Nong Khai, following highways which hugged the snaking Mekong River.

Riding on such roads on 110cc ‘motorbike’ (in the UK it would be called a ‘scooter’ at best), I realised how wonderfully considerate UK drivers are. Time after time motorcyclists would merge into traffic without a single glance at oncoming vehicles. They certainly weren’t interested in checking their mirrors – if they had any.

Cars and SUVs were not much better. If you’re in the bigger vehicle, you get to bully smaller transportation units. Vehicles approach junctions at high speeds, braking at the last minute. This makes it very hard to tell if they have seen you or not. The ubiquitous tinted windows favoured in Thai vehicles also make it impossible to ascertain what a driver’s intentions are.

Indicators are optional.

It’s very much ‘every man (or woman) for themselves’ in Thailand. The Thai driver is responsible for what’s in front of them; Buddha will take care of what’s behind.

UK motorists by contrast are exceedingly courteous on the road. Wing mirrors, speed limits and pedestrian crossings are not there for decoration – this the British driver knows.

Politeness on the road doesn’t just make life more pleasant – it keeps us safe. The road fatality rate in Thailand is 74.6 per 100,000 motor vehicles. This compares to 5.1 in the UK, putting us alongside the likes of Switzerland and Sweden.

Perhaps it isn’t fair to compare an emerging economy with our own – but a lot of road safety seems to be about awareness of others and general politeness. The Thai people are very polite and often go out of their way to avoid offending others. If they did the same on the road, it would be an even more amazing country to visit.

After my 226 mile round-trip, I felt a renewed respect for UK and its very polite, safety-conscious motorists.