British driven mad by cars as 1 in 7 admits to road rage
One in seven Britons admits to experiencing road rage and a quarter of the UK population has suffered an assault or threat from an incensed motorist, according to a new survey.
The study found that British drivers are angrier than ever on congested roads in cities, and men and women are similarly prone to violence in roadside disputes.
However, Scottish drivers are less likely to act on their road rage, with 5 per cent fewer motorists than from the UK as a whole reported for threats, violence, obscene gestures and shouting.
Sue Longthorn, managing director of car insurance company Admiral, which carried out the survey, said: “Road rage affects both genders and, sadly, doesn’t just manifest itself in shouting and gesticulating.
“Many of us will know someone who is mild mannered most of the time but who, inside the confines of their car, can become easily enraged by another driver’s often harmless actions.
“Driving can bring out the darker side of our personalities but it is not worth getting that upset and angry. It doesn’t achieve anything other than raising your blood pressure.”
Overall, 76 per cent of women confess to feeling angry while driving compared with 69 per cent of men, but the latter have a greater tendency to vent their frustration by shouting, gesticulating, making threats or through physical assaults.
About 10 per cent of men admit assaulting another driver and 4 per cent have hit out at vehicles.
A further 8 per cent have threatened violence in arguments that came close to blows.
By comparison, 7 per cent of women admit to an assault and 2 per cent have damaged a car. A further 5 per cent confess to threatening conduct. Men, however, are more likely to be targeted and almost one in three – 30 per cent – have been assaulted, threatened or suffered car damage compared to 21 per cent of women.
The poll of 3,000 drivers – 1,500 men and 1,500 women – also revealed that 16 per cent of men and 10 per cent of women have attempted to intimidate another driver by following them after a perceived slight.
A total of 76 per cent of men shout at other drivers and 60 per cent make offensive gestures.
That compares with 73 per cent of women who shout obscenities and 45 per cent who gesticulate.
Admiral found that motorists driving too close or cutting them up angered people the most, but that general rudeness, driving too slowly and people who do not pay attention also led to road rage incidents.
Spokeswoman Natalie Grimshare said: “The fact that one in ten people followed a driver who had annoyed them and that almost one in ten had attacked someone stood out the most.
“People said that if they were in a rush, they were more likely to feel angry”.
The routine violence on roads is attributable to a general mistrust of fellow drivers by the public.
Almost half of respondents believe that motorists are angrier than they were five years ago, though, predictably, less than a fifth believe the same of themselves.
However, three-fifths of people said they think it is wrong to show road rage and almost one in seven said they feel guilty when they do.
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Comments
There are 13 comments to this article
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The Hiker
Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 10:16 AMNumber 11 and 12. Well if you like doing 40 in a 30 limit, I'd say that's pretty irresponsible... I hope it's not your child, wife or other close relative that gets knocked down, and possibly killed. The difference in "damage done" to a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle doing 30 mph , and one doing 40 mph, is pretty substantial. I do however agree with your comments about the ditherers, and dawdlers, who chug along at 30 or 35 on the open road.....where the limit is 60 mph. Loved the bit about shades of green...!! My guess is that you're Jeremy Clarkson
Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 05:19 PMAnd by the way, I'm not into "road rage", offensive language or gesticulating. Such behaviour is that of immaturity. Al I want is for people to get the f**k out of my way and not hold me up, causing me to use more fuel, get frustrated and arrive late.
Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head
Monday, October 31, 2011 at 05:14 PM#3: Absolutely spot on. For some reason, I strongly suspect mainly because of all the daft "speed kills" rubbish that's been put about during the past 20 years, an increasing percentage of drivers dawdle and dither about. It used to be the case that you came across a 20-30mph numpty once in a blue moon. Now it seems to be the norm. I've even seen people brake as they approach a green traffic light, presumably in the hope that it will turn red before they get there. Which is fine, provided either I'm not behind them or they move over to let me past. And even when the lights turn green, it seems that simply "green" is not good enough for some drivers. They sit there waiting for the lights to turn a particular shade of green before they decide to move off. Oh for the days when the majority drove everywhere at 40mph rather than 25mph and showed a bit of common sense and nouse when driving, not to mention a bit of consideration that others moght want to get a move on and actually get where they are going sometime this week.
The Hiker
Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 04:57 AMNumber 9. Seems that you're into the American way, full swing, with your "z" in Americanisation - but then perhaps it's a tongue in cheek statement....ha ha ha.
wayneb
Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 11:25 AMAh, the continuing Americanization of the UK... and oh, the anger of it all. Get out and walk. Take the bus or take the train.
The Hiker
Saturday, October 29, 2011 at 10:58 AMNumber 4 Tintock Pete Cars being "tagged" by satellite is already a reality where I work. Beeper alarms set at the speed limit. GPS tracks your vehicle position. It knows where the speed limits change. The alarm thresholds change automatically as you move around, from one speed limit zone to another. If you spped execessivley you get a text message from the controller, telling you to slow down.... It's called IVMS - In Vehicle Monitoring System. It's with us now my friend, and I'll bet within my lifetime, (I'm in my fifties), it will become a standard fitting on all cars in the UK. The Hiker.
Deansy
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 02:34 PMTodays driving standards are a reflection of today's society - "ME, ME, ME - I'm the ONLY one that matters" ! !
Sapphire
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 02:17 PMRoad bullies are usually the ones with physically stronger and bigger in built who dare to attack and threaten other road users and because most are also associated with gangsterism.
A Friend of Fernando Poo
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 01:23 PMThe sooner Google start selling their driverless cars, the better. It'll be grand to phone the car and say "I'm at the pub. Come and get me."
Tintock Pete
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 12:08 PMDon't worry. Pretty soon every vehicle will be "tracked".
Incandescent
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 10:40 AM"Admiral found that motorists driving too close or cutting them up angered people the most, but that general rudeness, driving too slowly and people who do not pay attention also led to road rage incidents." ------------ I suspect that a large proportion of "driving too close" incidents are directly related to "driving too slowly". Over the past 20 years the rule that lane 2 (outside) on any dual carriageway is for overtaking slower vehicles appears to have been almost entirely lost.
Incandescent
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 09:02 AM"About 10 per cent of men admit assaulting another driver" -------- "10% of men" eh? Nonsense. .................. 10% of men in the survey sample of 3000 is quite a different thing. I for one would be interested to know where the survey was conducted to get such a skewed result. The prison population perhaps? And "reported for threats, violence, obscene gestures and shouting."? I would hope the police would dismiss out of hand anyone who reported an "offensive gesture". If not, why not?
Charles Linskaill
Friday, October 28, 2011 at 01:41 AMAll motor vehicles are dangerous machines if not used in the correct manner, Take out your 'temper' in one of them, and you could kill someone, not worth it in any way!, show 'restraint', and don't act like a caveman with a killing machine!
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