Trigger warning - what's behind the shocking rise in road rage?
Amid falling driving standards and a lack of policing, conflict is becoming more common on the UK's roads
Road rage incidents are reaching new highs, with more than 4,000 people a year injured by aggressive driving and road rage.
New research has identified some of the key triggers that push drivers over the edge and into a fight.
The biggest cause of conflict is ‘being cut up’ which some drivers see as a personal affront that deserves instant justice.
Others respond to ‘aggressive’ behaviour from other road users, either verbal, hand signals or something as simple as flashing lights.
Road rage triggers - a cause of conflict. Source: Select Car Leasing
The research from UK leasing company Select Car Leasing also shows 77% of drivers have experienced some form of road rage, with nearly one in 10 experiencing another driver stopping to argue with them, while many say they were involved in a ‘physical altercation’; 6% say they were followed after upsetting another motorist.
Graham Conway, managing director at Select Car Leasing, said: “The common thread through all of these scenarios is that they’re incredibly dangerous - and could also see drivers prosecuted for their behaviours.”
A road-rage reporting system called ‘GoodSam’ allows a police call handler to take control of a victim’s mobile phone camera by sending an SMS link, giving the police valuable evidence to secure a prosecution.