Anger and aggressive driving all the rage on our roads
Written by Amanda Stevens, Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Accident Research Centre.
November 21, 2022.
Nowhere is space more contested in the urban setting than on our roads.
Despite the fact they’re designed as shared spaces, the combative frame of mind of many road users, be they drivers or cyclists, contributes to aggressive driving, and often disproportionate responses to perceived slights. At its most extreme, this can manifest as what is commonly referred to as road rage.
Aggressive driving can, and often does, lead to crashes, which often result in serious injury or death. Without significant improvements in road safety in Australia, approximately 12,000 road users will lose their lives on Australian roads in the next decade, and almost 500,000 will be seriously injured.
Aggressive driving is the risky use of a vehicle to display anger or intimidate other drivers. This includes speeding, tailgating, dangerous overtaking, cutting off drivers, beeping the horn excessively, and making rude gestures.
These behaviours have been well-established as a problem, with almost 50% of drivers engaging in them.
Continue reading the full article here.