Are You An Aggressive Driver? Here's How You Can Tell and What You Can Do About It.

According to a 2012 Leger Marketing poll, nearly 80% of Canadian drivers admit to aggressive behaviour that could be considered road rage, such as use of profanity, yelling, or following other vehicles too closely, with speeding being the most common.

Here’s how some of the stats break down:

• 8 in 10 Canadian drivers are guilty of aggressive behaviour
• 83% are men, while 76% are women
• 2 in 5 admit to using profanity during traffic
• Young drivers aged 18-34 are most guilty of cutting people off
• 1 in 5 are guilty of tailgating
• Seeing other people distracted by mobile phones or other ways is the most common trigger for road rage behaviour
• Men are most likely than women to get road rage when they get cut off
• Women express road rage more than men when they are running late
• Drivers under the age of 45 are more likely to blame their road rage on a bad day than those age 45 and older

Behaviour of and conditions that trigger road rage:

• Speeding
• Swearing during traffic
• Tailgating
• Yelling/swearing directly at someone
• Rude hand gestures
• Cutting people off
• Weaving in and out of traffic

If you exhibit these kinds of behaviours you are considered an aggressive driver.

Still Not Convinced? Take the self-test by answering yes or no to the following statements:

This little test, and others online, will help you understand further if you qualify as an aggressive driver. Again, self-knowledge is the first step to change:

1. I regularly exceed the speed limit in order to get to a given destination.
2. I tailgate other drivers, especially those who sit in the left lane.
3. I flash my lights and honk my horn to let drivers know when they annoy me.
4. I verbally abuse other drivers whether they can hear me or not.
5. I frequently weave in and out of traffic to ‘get ahead’.
6. I feel that I am the only person on the road who ‘knows how to drive’
7. I have a compulsion to set drivers straight when they violate my own set of road rules.

If after reading this you realize that you fall into the ‘aggressive driver’ camp, you’re not alone. But more importantly, you can change your behaviour. By being aware of your tendencies while driving, you can make a different decision each time you get in your vehicle and/or get triggered. By stepping back, taking a deep breath, and resisting the urge to retaliate, you are making yourself and others safer.

Here are some tips that will help you begin the road to recovery as an aggressive driver:

• Sleepiness and fatigue can heighten your risk of aggressive behaviour. A good night’s sleep, and a daily 10-15 minute nap, will go a long way in restoring your energy and helping you stay calm and focused.

• Add time to your travel plans. Racing out the door on the way to work or coming home from the office can increase the likelihood of speeding, tailgating, and frustration. Preparing things the night before, such as your things for work and children’s school bags, lunches, etc, can also help you plan further ahead and reduce your anxiety when you get behind the wheel.

• Your car is not an instrument to burn off steam when you’re angry after a bad day at work or a hostile run-in with a co-worker or loved one. Take time before you put the car into drive to breathe deeply and calm down

• Step back before retaliating. You don’t know if the driver ahead of you is trying to one-up you, or somehow trying to make you angry. You don’t know what is going on in that person’s car: maybe he/she is having a really bad day, or has a screaming infant in the backseat, or a dog that keeps trying to get up in the front seat. By stepping back and becoming more objective, you are taking the first step in controlling your behaviour.

Patience is the key: we all need to be more patient with one another and offer grace to those who we think have wronged us.