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.