ALMOST HALF of Irish drivers have admitted to letting road rage get the better of them within the last three years, according to a new survey.
AA Ireland said it had polled over 10,000 motorists on the subject and found that 49.6 per cent of them had found themselves acting uncharacteristically aggressively as a result of the actions of other motorists.
Male drivers were more likely to succumb to road rage than their female counterparts – though women were more likely to beep their car’s horn at another driver than men were.
22.5 per cent of men admitted to having rolled down their windows to yell at another motorist, while over 6 per cent said they had gone so far as to get out of their cars to confront another driver over their behaviour.
By comparison, about 3.5 per cent of women admitted to leaving their cars to vent their fury, and 12 per cent had rolled down their windows.
One in five drivers, overall, admitted to deliberately tailgating another driver, while almost half – 48.1 per cent – said they had made rude gestures at other motorists.
Donegal’s drivers were the most likely to beep their horns, Tipperary’s were the most likely to get out of a car to air their grievances, while Galway’s were most likely to tailgate others.
Meath’s drivers, however, were the most aggressive in two categories: of the ten counties in which significant numbers were surveyed: they were mostly likely to make rude gestures, and to roll down their windows to shout at others.
AA Ireland’s director of motor insurance John Fennell said the results were “really worrying to hear” and said that reacting to angry drivers would likely only provoke them further.
AA Ireland advised drivers not to take the road rage of others personally, and told angered drivers not to slow down in order to remonstrate with others, as to do so may cause greater safety issues.
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