Road Rage Experience and Behavior: Vehicle, Exposure, and Driver Factors

Abstract

Road rage has generated increasing public concern. Research has shown that victimization and perpetration of road rage is more common among males and younger drivers. We aimed to extend the understanding of determinants of road rage to driving exposure and vehicle factors, based on a 2002–2003 population survey of 1,631 regular drivers in Ontario, Canada. Regression analyses revealed that number of times drivers reported experiencing road rage in the previous 12 months was significantly greater for males, younger respondents, and those residing in Toronto. Also, victimization was significantly greater for drivers who did all their driving on busy roads and increased with number of kilometers driven on a typical week; however, type of vehicle driven was not significant. Number of times road rage perpetration was reported in the past 12 months was significantly greater for males, younger respondents, and those residing in Toronto, and lower for those in the Eastern and Northern region. Road rage perpetration increased significantly with number of weekly kilometers driven and was significantly greater for drivers who are always on busy roads and lower for those who never drive on busy roads, and higher for high-performance vehicle drivers. Even after controlling for driving exposure, road rage victimization and perpetration were highest for drivers in Toronto, where the pace of life may be more demanding. As expected, high-performance vehicle drivers reported more road rage perpetration. These individuals may experience more frustration when they are prevented from using the full performance capacities of their vehicles by crowded urban roadways.

Keywords:

• Motor Vehicle
• Driving Congestion
• Driving Exposure
• Aggressive Driving
• Road Rage

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This research was supported by a grant from AUTO21, a member of the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) progam that is administered and funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), in partnership with Industry Canada. Project B04-BBB.

Notes

¹Percentages and means based on weighted data.

∗p < .05

∗∗p < .01

∗∗∗p < .001.

¹Percentages and means based on weighted data.

²Serious and non-serious road rage (i.e., how many times respondents: (1) someone in another vehicle shouted, cursed, or made rude gestures at you or others with you, (2) threatened to hurt you or others with you, or threatened to damage the vehicle you were in, (3) intentionally damaged or attempted to damage the vehicle you were in, (4) intentionally hurt or threatened to hurt you or others with you (four items summed).

³Reported “yes” to: (1) someone in another vehicle intentionally damaged or attempted to damage the vehicle you were in, and/or (2) someone in another vehicle intentionally hurt or threatened to hurt you or others with you.

⁴Serious and non-serious road rage (i.e., how many times respondents: (1) shouted, cursed, or made rude gestures at a driver or passenger in another vehicle, (2) threatened to hurt a driver or passenger in another vehicle, or threatened to damage their vehicle, (3) intentionally damaged or attempted to damage another driver's vehicle, (4) intentionally hurt or attempted to hurt a driver or passenger in another vehicle (four items summed).

⁵Reported “yes” to: (1) intentionally damaged or attempted to damage another driver's vehicle, and/or (2) intentionally hurt or attempted to hurt a driver or passenger in another vehicle.