• A new survey by Compare the Market AU reveals 57.8% of American adults have experienced road rage in some way.
• Of these, 18.5% were direct victims, 37.5% were witnesses, and 16.9% were perpetrators.
• Gen Z and Millennials were more likely to experience road rage in some way compared to Gen X and Baby Boomers
• Tailgating was listed as the most frustrating behaviour when on the road.

Road rage, bad driving behaviour and ignoring road safety is a serious issue. A new survey by Compare the Market AU reveals that almost 60% (57.8%) of Americans have experienced road rage in some fashion.

The figures reveal that almost one in five (18.5%) were direct victims of road rage, while 37.5% of all respondents said they had witnessed a road rage incident. Over one-in-ten Americans surveyed said they had been a perpetrator of road rage themselves (16.9%), while 42.2% of respondents said they had never experienced or observed it in any way.

There was an interesting trend in the data where Gen Z and Millennials were more likely to have experienced road rage in some capacity than Gen X and Baby Boomers, despite older respondents having more experience and time on the road.

When asked which behaviours frustrate them the most, tailgating was listed as the number one bad behaviour, followed by getting cut off in traffic and seeing other drivers being on the phone.

What behaviours frustrate you the most?

Americans

• Tailgating 63.5%
• Getting cut off in traffic 62.5%
• Seeing someone on their phone while driving 56.3%
• Running red lights/stop signs 53.9%
• Merging into a lane when there is not sufficient space 50.3%
• Unnecessary high beam use 48.0%
• Constantly changing lanes 46.2%
• Speeding 45.4%
• Slow drivers 45.1%
• Indicating incorrectly, or not at all 43.7%
• Bad parking 34.9%

When asked about their own behaviour, most people say they are safe drivers, with only 39.3% of respondents admitting to regularly doing something considered dangerous or rude. The most commonly admitted bad habits were:

• Not always giving way to other road users trying to merge (13.6%)
• Using a mobile phone while driving (13.0%)
• Sticking to fast lanes even when not overtaking (12.7%)
• Not always indicating correctly (11.4%)
• Quickly swerving between lanes (7.3%)

Compare the Market’s data also looked into the decline of the ‘thank you’ wave. Civility on the road can easily be given with a friendly wave of thanks, and 73.0% of Americans say they always give a wave when other road users give way to them. When asked how they feel when others give do so, 90.6% said they appreciate it.

Breaking the data down further, women were more likely than men to either always wave or never wave, while men were more likely to only wave on occasion.

Do you wave ‘thank you’ when others let you pass?

Men        Women

Always                       66.4%      79.2%

Sometimes                 31.7%      17.7%

Never                             1.9%       3.1%

Compare the Market’s Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, explains that reckless and dangerous drivers could not only endanger lives and get drivers into trouble with law enforcement, but it can also impact the cost of a driver’s car insurance policy.

“Car insurance companies use all the data they can to assess risk. If you have a bad driving record, this could see your car insurance premiums increase. When your policy renews, an insurer may even decline to offer you cover,” Taylor says.

“Additionally, if you were doing something illegal or dangerous at the time of an incident because you were engaged in road rage, you could be completely liable but your claim could be declined. This means you would have to pay all damages and costs yourself, out of your own pocket.

“If you are a road user, it’s important to always remain calm and treat other drivers with the same courtesy that you would expect in return. Reducing road rage incidents is just one way we can work towards having safer roads with fewer incidents.” For more data, additional findings and charts, visit: https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/car-insurance/features/road-rage-report/