Britain’s roads send tempers soaring and pulses racing

Tempers on Britain’s roads are boiling over into abuse, dangerous driving and violence, as drivers reveal that bad motoring manners are making them see red.

As new registration plates hit the roads, new research from Zurich Insurance reveals that more than 10 million British motorists have been the victim of road rage in the last three years, with one in three (34%) drivers on the receiving end of another’s aggressive and often dangerous behaviour.

Although for many of these drivers the experience was limited to obscene gestures (50 per cent) or abusive language (30 per cent), others have been victims of potentially dangerous driving, such as being tail-gated (48 per cent) or deliberately cut up (42 per cent).

Even more seriously, one in seven victims of road rage has been pursued by another driver (15 per cent) and one in 10 had another motorist pull over or get out of their car to confront them (12 per cent) or threaten them (nine per cent).

Yet the research also reveals that many drivers may be in denial about their own highway anger. Although 64 per cent admit to some kind of aggressive behaviour over the last three years, more than three quarters of these (77 per cent) felt that their actions were justified. And one in 10 drivers (11 per cent) even admits that it can be good to be a bit aggressive when on the road.

It seems that it’s other motorists’ bad driving that prompts many drivers to turn into four-wheeled furies. Fifty-nine per cent of people who admitted to road rage confessed that bad driving had driven them to it – the single biggest reason. Others cited other drivers or pedestrians not obeying the rules of the road (56 and 11 per cent, respectively), while more than one in four wanted to retaliate after being cut up themselves (26 per cent).

But motorists’ tempers are also being frayed by the time of day and the places in which they drive, the research shows. More than a quarter (28 per cent) say that the evening rush hour is the worst for sending tempers over the edge, while one in five (17 per cent) say roads near to schools are the most stressful places to drive.

With many drivers who have acted aggressively behind the wheel admitting to common warning signs of road rage – such as becoming angry at something that wouldn’t ordinarily affect them (22 per cent), heightened feelings of stress (25 per cent), or a racing pulse (14 per cent) – Zurich Insurance has teamed up with psychologist David Moxon to produce some simple tips to help motorists control their tempers:

Take deep and slow breaths
Keeping the cabin cool will keep your temper cool
Try playing calming classical music on your car stereo or radio
Take regular breaks to prevent stress building up
Substitute potential aggressive thoughts by thinking about loved ones or things that you are pleased or proud of in your life

Mike Quinton, Managing Director for Direct & Partnerships at Zurich Insurance said: “Despite our love affair with the car, it is clear that the pressures of modern driving are increasingly adding to the nation’s stress-levels. What is also worrying is that once somebody loses their temper, it often takes a long time to regain control and can often affect a person long after they have finished driving. A stressed driver is more likely to be a dangerous driver, so we urge all motorists to take precautions if they feel the red mist descending.”

Psychologist David Moxon said: “Much psychological research has shown that people tend to overestimate their driving ability and perceive other drivers to be less competent. Combined with many drivers seeing a journey as some sort of competition and feeling that their territory is being threatened or violated when they are tailgated or cut up, it’s easy for the seeds of stress and aggression to be sown.”