"Road rage" runs over civility of North American drivers
8 December 2005
"Road rage," loosely defined as all anti-social behaviour on the road, is at least as pervasive in Canada as in the US, according to results of a recent Synovate poll. Most Canadians (65%) have experienced some form of aggressive behaviour from other drivers in the past 12 months. Sixty-two percent of American drivers cite similar incidents in the same period.
"North American drivers seem to prefer 'personal' acts of aggression, such as rude gestures and aggressive driving behaviour, over less personal acts, such as flashing lights and horn honking," says Synovate Motoresearch senior vice president, Stephen Popiel.
"Yet we can take some comfort from the fact that when drivers physically get out of their vehicle, their aggressive tendencies dissipate – very few people have been threatened by another driver where the person physically got out of their vehicle (2-4%)." Popiel says. "It appears that most drivers are only comfortable enough or brave enough to make threatening gestures from the safety and security of their car, or truck or SUV."
Respondents overwhelmingly felt victimized by the aggressive behaviour of other drivers when they were on their own time. People are twice as likely to experience road rage when out for a leisurely drive (60%) as they are to feel it when commuting (31%). Only nine per cent of people driving for work report that they have been treated rudely by other drivers.
"What's not clear is if incidents of road rage are constant and people are simply more sensitive to how they are treated by others when they are on their own time or if, in fact, drivers are more aggressively expressive on nights and weekends," he said.
The data were collected using Synovate's e.nation omnibus panel. Interviewing was conducted November 24-28 from a nationally representative sample of Canadians age 18+. Results are based on drivers (n=905). Results for a national sample of 905 have a margin of error 3.3% 19 times in twenty.
Synovate Motoresearch is one of the world's largest automotive market research consulting firms, with offices in 17 countries.
Contact(s) for this press release
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Stephen Popiel
Senior Vice President |
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Synovate Motoresearch |
Tel: +416 964 6262 Ext. 147 |
Synovate, the market research arm of Aegis Group plc, generates consumer insights that drive competitive marketing solutions. The network provides clients with cohesive global support and a comprehensive suite of research solutions. Synovate employs over 6,000 staff across 62 countries.
For more information on Synovate visit www.synovate.com.