Half of all drivers experience road rage

MORE THAN half of the drivers in the UK say they have been the victim of road rage at some point in the past 12 months. The same research showed that 11% of drivers in the UK have used full beam in an effort to annoy another driver, while 4% said they had threatened to damage another person’s vehicle.

The study by the Van Discount Company showed that women over the age of 50 were the most common target for road rage, with 40% of women in this age bracket saying they experienced road rage at least once a month.

Women are more likely to deal with road rage by shouting at themselves, with 58% admitting they did this, while 44% also said they would swear at the other driver. Men tend to deal with road rage by sounding their car’s horn (34%) or using hand gestures (21%).

Younger drivers are more likely to vent their anger at other drivers, with 53% of 18-34-year old drivers saying they have sworn at another driver.

Taxi drivers are cited as the most frustrating drivers by other road users (24%), while bus drivers come in for praise as the safest drivers by 41% of those questioned.

By Press Association reporters