Road Rage, the New ‘Black Spot’ You Should Know About
Have you experienced road rage? The obscene gesture, the threat yelled out the window, have you ever had someone follow you home?
Well if you have, you aren’t alone.
A survey of more than 3740 Australian drivers by insurance company GIO revealed some interesting statistics about this road threat.
What is ‘Road Rage’?
The Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee of Victoria (DCPC) divide road rage into three categories:
- Road Violence occurs when strangers are targeted by strangers in specifically driving and road related instances.
- Road Hostility is just like road violence, but in a lesser form, where a stranger’s rage is expressed without physical violence, for example cursing and yelling.
- Selfish Driving is not targeted at anyone in particular, but is a product of the driver wishing to get ahead of the traffic without thought or concern for the safety of other drivers.
Road Rage is the New Black (spot)
85% of the drivers surveyed by GIO believed that drivers were more aggressive on our roads than ever before.
Surprisingly, Brisbane was found to be the worst major capital city for road rage, with 95% of drivers having experienced road rage at the hands of their fellow drivers, followed by 90% of Adelaide and Perth drivers, 87% of Melbourne drivers and 84% of Sydney drivers.
The most commonly experienced forms of road rage were obscene gestures, followed by tailgating (when someone is close behind you in an unsafe manner designed to be intimidating) and then abusive language. Almost a quarter of respondents had been followed, with more women represented in this number than men.
Lower numbers of respondents reported being forced off the road, and attacks to their vehicle or person.
Tips for dealing with Road Rage
Road rage is one of those things where your actions can make a big difference as to whether the situation escalates or not. Regardless of how you feel, the only people entitled to ‘punish’ others for their bad driving are the police.
Is it worth it? Sure, the other guy is a complete loser and didn’t indicate, but a near miss is not an accident. On the other hand, perhaps you are in the wrong. Would it kill you to say ‘sorry’ for missing that give-way sign? It might kill you not to.
Do not underestimate. The sweet little grannie driving 30kms under the speed limit might be full of rage and take it out on you. Never underestimate another driver’s capacity for road rage.
Go to the police. If someone is following you don’t drive home. Then they know where you live. Drive to the nearest police station and if you can do so on a hands-free, ring to let them know you are coming and what the situation is.
Do not drive evasively. Do not get into an accident because someone is road raging at you. Follow the road rules and head for the nearest police station.
Know the rules. Good driving cuts down on road rage. If you know the road rules that are in place in the particular state in which you are driving then you have less chance of being involved in a road rage incident.
Record the location, time and date of the incident, and any identifying features of the other vehicle or driver, such as their license plate or any jewellery they might be wearing. This can then be referred to when reporting the incident to the police.
Road rage is on the increase
Whether it is the pressures of modern urban society or the anonymity that some people feel inside the swift sleekness of a car, whether is frustration against an owner of a more luxurious and expensive car, or simply that people are having a bad day, road rage seems to be a modern phenomenon that is here to stay.
It is hard to provide statistics on the rise of road rage, as it is vastly underreported and often the road rage incident itself is masked as a vehicle accident report.
The GIO survey that we have examined in this article has shown such a prevalence of road rage that it is impossible to ignore, and is affecting a huge percentage of Australians.
If you or someone you know wants more information or needs help or advice, please contact us on 07 3281 6644 or email mail@powerlegal.com.au.
