Road rage affects eight in ten drivers

Survey finds we are a nation of angry drivers

31 January 2007 13:11 GMT / By Stuart Miles

A new survey has found that road rage not only affects 78% of drivers in the UK, but that a third admit being affected by road rage once a week or more often.

Most drivers admit driving while angry or stressed at other road users, reveals a survey by Brake and breakdown specialist, Green Flag.

The survey of more than 1000 drivers also shows that a startlingly high number drive while dangerously distracted by stress and anger at least once a week - almost a third.

The survey also found that more than six in ten drivers (63%) drive while feeling angry or stressed at something unrelated to driving. While three-quarters of drivers (74%) drive while thinking about something other
than work such as personal issues.

The good news however is that more than nine in ten (95%) drivers agree that it is important to keep calm and focused while driving for safety reasons.

Driving while stressed or angry can be extremely distracting and affect the way you drive. Research has shown that angry drivers are more likely to take risks such as speeding, rapidly switching lanes, tailgating and jumping red lights. Driving in this way increases your chance of being involved in a crash.

Brake, an independent national road safety charity and one of the parties that carried out the survey is calling on the Government to take urgent action to stop the daily carnage on our roads by introducing year-round, high-profile advertising campaigns to warn the public about the dangers of road rage and give advice on how to be a safer driver.