Road rage, bad driving behaviour, and ignoring road safety pose serious risks on Canadian roads, as revealed by a recent survey conducted by Compare the Market AU.
The findings show that a significant 58.2% of Canadian adults have encountered road rage in some form.
Among these individuals, 20.7% found themselves directly victimized, while 33.6% witnessed road rage incidents. Alarmingly, 15.6% admitted to being perpetrators of road rage. Despite the prevalence, 41.8% of respondents claimed to have never experienced or observed road rage.
Interestingly, the survey unveiled a generational divide, with Gen Z and Millennials reporting higher instances of road rage compared to Gen X and Baby Boomers.
When asked about the most frustrating behaviours on the road, getting cut off in traffic topped the list. Other aggravating behaviours included drivers being on their phones and tailgating.
|
What behaviours frustrate you the most? |
Canadians |
|
Getting cut off in traffic |
60.5% |
|
Seeing someone on their phone while driving |
56.3% |
|
Tailgating |
55.7% |
|
Indicating incorrectly, or not at all |
47.6% |
|
Running red lights/stop signs |
46.0% |
|
Constantly changing lanes |
45.7% |
|
Merging into a lane when there is not sufficient space |
45.4% |
|
Speeding |
43.6% |
|
Slow drivers |
42.5% |
|
Unnecessary high beam use |
41.3% |
|
Bad parking |
35.1% |
Despite the prevalence of road rage, the majority of respondents claimed to be safe drivers. However, 39.3% admitted to engaging in behaviours considered dangerous or rude, such as failing to yield, improper signalling, and using mobile phones while driving. The most commonly admitted bad habits were:
- Not always giving way to other road users trying to merge (14.5%)
- Not always indicating correctly (11.2%)
- Sticking to fast lanes even when not overtaking (11.1%)
- Using a mobile phone while driving (8.5%)
- Not slowing down in the rain to avoid splashing pedestrians (8.4%)
Moreover, the survey shed light on the decline of the 'thank you' wave—a simple gesture of civility on the road. While 76.1% of Canadians claimed to always give a wave when other drivers yielded, the data showed variations based on gender, with women more likely to consistently or never wave, while men tended to do so occasionally.
Adrian Taylor, Executive General Manager of General Insurance at Compare the Market, emphasized the consequences of reckless driving, including potential increases in car insurance premiums and claim denials. Taylor urged road users to remain calm and treat others with courtesy to reduce road rage incidents and foster safer roads.
"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," said Taylor.
“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.”
You can learn more by reading the full report here.
