Road Rage - Are You An Agressive Driver?

Road rage is a big issue in today's society with the amount of cars on the roads increasing as the years pass by. Reports made in the UK and in Australia suggest that the main offenders are male with the younger generation being the biggest culprits. This has been blamed on the younger generation viewing violence as an acceptable way to resolve dispute.

These reports have outlined three different degrees of road rage rife in today's motoring community. These include:

Minor Road Rage - Minor road rage actions can include small things like honking of the horn, flashing of the lights and gesturing to other road users.

Intermediate Road Rage - Intermediate road rage actions include braking/slowing suddenly, pursuing other vehicles and verbal abuse of other road users

Major Road Rage - Major road rage actions include intentional damage to another vehicle and physical assault of other road users.

The reason that the problem of road rage has reared its ugly head on the UK roads is the fact that a lot of the minor road rage actions are accepted on the road. If we are all honest I am sure no one would admit to never honking the horn or flashing their lights in anger or frustration. The problem is that once the minor actions have been accepted into society then a few mindless drivers start to think that intermediate and major actions are also acceptable.

The reports suggest that the victim of the road rage whether they are on the end of a toot of the horn or struck by another driver are not always blameless. The fact is that the offending driver must have been provoked by the victim in some way to make them react but the fact is that in the majority of cases the victims are unaware of what they have done. Some of the most common causes of road rage are:

No indication
Slow speeds
Tail gaiting
Competitive merging
Cutting up traffic
Competition for parking spaces

The report also suggested that the environment can also pay a big part in the increase of road rage incidents. These factors such as traffic jams, heat, humidity and running late can all add to the stress of a driver behind the wheel and lead to a momentary lapse in calmness.

The fact is that all road rage actions take the offenders concentration off the road and increase the risk of accident which will only result in increased van insurance premiums. And major acts such as deliberate damage to another vehicle can not only result in higher commercial vehicle insurance but also criminal charges.

The solutions are simple if everyone on the road left enough time for their journey, left more space between vehicles and were more courteous to other drivers the roads would be a safer place. The fact is if everyone just calmed down and slowed down we may all benefit from cheap van insurance and less jammed up roads.