Analysing road rage
There are many causes of a loss of cheap car insurance but one that is becoming a growing reason is that of road rage.
Although there is no strict definition of road rage, there is a range of behaviours that can be associated with it, such as tailgating, tooting, flashing the headlights, gesturing, and shouting. Most instances of road rage are confined to the car but it has been cited as the cause of roadside assaults and even murder in some instances.
There are thousands of reports of road rage around the world each year, with many coming from America, Australia, and the UK. A MaxPower poll showed that nine out of ten drivers in the UK had experienced its effects at some point. However, when the same readers were asked if they had ever perpetrated the offence, seven out of ten admitted to having engaged in road rage.
Types of road rage
There is a variety of factors that can cause someone to lose their cool behind the wheel, but two main trends emerge. There are people who exhibit road rage defensively and those who exhibit road rage offensively.
The term "defensive road rage" can be used to describe situations where a person gets angry as a result of someone else's behaviour on the roads. The behaviour is often seen as inconsiderate or dangerous by the person showing road rage, who gets wound up because they believe their target is a bad driver.
The person who gets angry may then retaliate and drive dangerously themselves in an attempt to get back at their target. This can lead to road rage behaviours like tailgating, shouting, and gesturing angrily.
Offensive road rage describes situations where a motorist drives aggressively without any perceived provocation from other road users. These drivers initiate conflict through a range of methods, such as weaving in and out of queued traffic for minimal benefit or speeding up behind another car then braking at the last minute.
Reasons for road rage
Road rage is a phenomenon that is most often observed in industrialised countries and areas in which people lead busy, stressful lifestyles. Road rage has been linked with stress and the patterns of road rage in the UK can be seen to show this.
The MaxPower study showed that people in the UK are most likely to experience road rage if they live in the south east of England. This is also the area in which people suffer from the greatest amount of daily stress. In addition, stress levels have risen in the last five years, as have the numbers of road rage incidents.
Studies have also shown that many drivers find driving in rush hour is very stressful, and this coincides with the time when many road rage events occur. However, it may also be that simple frustration at queues may play a part for some people who get angry behind the wheel.
An alternative explanation for road rage has been put forward by American psychologists. Intermittent explosive disorder is a mental illness that is thought could effect up to 16 million Americans and is characterised by outbursts that exaggerate the severity of the situation.
It is thought that people suffering from this disorder can have up to three serious outbursts a year that result in damage to property, assault, and other violent behaviour.
Effects of road rage
Road rage episodes often end in car accidents that are caused by tailgating, poor judgment of overtaking, side swiping, and other types of dangerous driving. Criminal convictions and driving bans are common for more serious road rage accidents, whilst points and a loss of cheap car insurance can result from minor violations.
It is thought that worldwide, up to 3,000 people a year die as a result of road rage accidents and assaults, whilst many more people suffer serious injuries. As well as physical injuries, being the target of a road rage attack can result in a great deal of anxiety and other mental health issues that may only be resolved through counselling.