- Biggest road rage triggers revealed
- Exclusive research by Select Car Leasing
- Being cut up most likely to have motorists seeing red
- Tailgating is second behaviour most likely to cause road rage
- 77% drivers have involved in a road rage altercation in last 12 months
- 8% involved in ‘physical altercation’ as a result of road rage
BEING cut up is the No.1 trigger for road rage in the UK - but there’s no place in the top five for dreaded motorway middle lane hoggers.
That’s according to a new survey by Select Car Leasing which shines a light on the most common causes of anger and frustration behind the wheel.
Being cut up - aka, experiencing another vehicle pulling out in front of you, whether at a junction or on a roundabout - was the driving scenario most likely to spark road rage.
Even if there’s no collision, pulling out on another motorist is a form of careless driving, which can attract a fine of up to £5,000 as well as 9 penalty points on a licence.
(Motorists were asked ‘Which of the following driving scenarios, if any, are most likely to trigger ‘road rage’ for you personally?’ and were able to tick all applicable scenarios)
Being cut up (39% of votes) was followed by being tailgated (35%), being sworn at, either verbally or with hand gestures (29%) and witnessing another motorist using their mobile phone while driving (28%).
Despite a recent high profile campaign by National Highways warning about the risks, middle lane hogging during motorway driving (21%) was placed just 7th in the top 10 list of road rage triggers, behind slow driving (22%) and other drivers failing to indicate (26%).
Meanwhile motorists who flash their headlights in order to make someone ‘move over’ (17%) and failure to be thanked properly for letting someone else out (16%) also featured prominently in the top 10 run-down.
Worryingly, incidences of road rage - whatever the trigger - are disturbingly high in the UK.
Overall, 77% of the 1,000 driving licence holders surveyed by Select said they’d been involved in a road rage altercation in the past 12 months alone.
Almost half (48%) said they’d experienced a honking of horns as a result of a road rage incident within the last year.
A further 40% said they’d been on the receiving end of a rude hand gesture, while 24% had been involved in a ‘verbal altercation’, i.e. being sworn at, in the last year.
One in five (21%) said they’d been aggressively tailgated, while 16% had been brake-checked as a result of a road altercation in the last 12 months.
But 9% of drivers said another motorist had stopped their car to remonstrate with them - and a further 8% claimed they’d been involved in a ‘physical altercation’ with another driver in the last year. That figure for ‘physical altercations’ rose to 11% in males (and just 5% in females).
A further 6% said they’d been ‘followed’ by another motorist after a road rage ding dong.
Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing, said: “Whatever form the road rage takes, the common thread through all of these scenarios is that they’re incredibly dangerous - and could also see drivers prosecuted for their behaviours.
“Making a rude hand gesture towards another motorist could see you committing an offence under the Public Order Act 1986, and you could be handed a fine, a caution or end up in court.
“Not being in full control of your vehicle, for example if you take your hands off the wheel to aggressively gesture at someone, is also an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1991. You could be fined £1,000 and given three penalty points on your licence.
“Meanwhile shouting or swearing at another motorist could land you in serious trouble, particularly if the words you use are likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
“Our study also illustrates just how often road rage incidents take place, with the overwhelming majority of us involved in a spat in the last.
(Unsplash, credit Dhruv)
Here are Select Car Leasing’s top 6 anti-road rage tips:
Leave early
“The less stressed you are, the less likely you are to react to things like being tailgated or someone attempting to push in front of you in a queue. The more time you give yourself for a journey, the calmer you’ll be if you hit traffic congestion, too.”
Say thank you
“Being courteous goes a long way when it comes to calming tempers on the road. If you make an error - and let’s be honest, we all do, no matter what we might sometimes think - going out of your way to offer a simple wave or gesture of apology can instantly defuse tension and avoid any nasty confrontation.”
Let it go
“Tailgating - where a motorist drives too closely behind the car in front - is one of the most common triggers of road rage. It can lead to the aggrieved motorist dangerously ‘brake checking’ the tailgater or might even culminate in an angry tit-for-tat chase. But you need to be mature and sensible about it. If someone is riding your tail, just let them go. Move into a different lane or you can even pull over to let them pass. After all, what’s the point in escalating the situation? By letting them go, you’re instantly ridding yourself of the stress and anxiety.”
Beware the road rage ripple effect
“Road rage can spread like a virus on the roads. One single incident can lead to a terrifying ripple effect, as frustration spreads like a wave of animosity for miles behind. You can nip it all in the bud by just remaining calm and leaving others to it. After all, you don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s life. They might be tailgating you because they’re rushing to a hospital or their poor driving might be down to sheer absentmindedness rather than any sort of aggression.”
Practical things you can do
“If someone is up your rear bumper it can be really distracting - and that poses a danger to yourself and all other road users. The last thing you want to do is to make eye contact with the tailgater as that could escalate the anger further, too. You could try dipping your rear-view mirror via the anti-glare knob, or you could even point the mirror away from your view until they’ve gone, while using your wing mirrors instead.”
Report
“If you feel seriously threatened by another driver, stay in your car and keep the doors locked. Drive to the nearest police station or busy area if you can. And remember that if you’re using your mobile phone to contact the emergency services you won’t be prosecuted for it. You should also be aware of a road-rage reporting system called ‘GoodSam’. It allows a police call handler to take control of your mobile phone’s video camera in a matter of seconds, so that you can livestream a road rage event as it unfolds. The police operator simply sends an SMS to your phone which, when you click on a unique link, then gives the police instant access to your phone’s camera. It acts as both a deterrent and a way for police to secure a prosecution.”
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