Britain's road rage drivers exposed | Motoring Issues - Car News May 2019

13:27 Friday 03 May 2019

The red mist of road rage affects more than a fifth of UK drivers according new research by automotive data experts HPI.

Over 1,000 motorists took part in the survey, with 22% admitting they have gotten out of their vehicle to confront another driver, and 19% have actually driven after another driver following an incident. The survey suggests men are more likely than women to get out of their vehicle to remonstrate – 23% to 21% - while 20% of women respondents admitted they had followed another driver compared to 18% of men.
Almost 40% of drivers surveyed confessed to taking out a bad day on other motorists, with the same amount admitting that they had lost their temper behind the wheel on more than one occasion. Three percent even claimed that they always feel furious while driving.

The biggest bugbear of Britain’s raging drivers is dangerous overtaking by other motorists, with 28% citing this as a trigger, while a fifth are driven mad by tailgaters. Seeing other drivers at the wheel while on their mobile phone gets 17% of those surveyed riled, while one in ten are irked by other drivers breaking the speed limit.

When it came to the state of UK roads, 31% of drivers are pushed to their limit by the abundance of potholes, a fifth are enraged by congestion and traffic jams, 16% are angered by never-ending roadworks, and one in ten are made furious by parking problems. In fact, just 8% of those surveyed say that they are not angry at UK roads at all.

White van man remains the most annoying motorist according to 23% of respondents, following by cyclists (19%), taxi drivers (11%) and pedestrians (8%). Backseat drivers annoy more than a quarter of motorists surveyed, along with squabbling kids (17%), and passengers who mess with the stereo (11%).

“Our research of what really gets UK motorists hot under the collar reveals some fascinating findings”, said HPI’s Fernando Garcia.

“What it really highlights is that it doesn’t take much to wind up UK drivers and many are putting their safety and the well-being of others at risk. With nearly a quarter willing to get out of their vehicle and confront another driver, this could easily escalate into something far more serious and drivers need to think about remaining calm and collected when behind the wheel.”