County ‘a hotspot for road rage’ police incidents

TOPS THE LIST IN ENGLAND FOR REPORTS,

THE foul temper of some Leicester drivers has propelled the city to top spot for England in the worst areas for road rage.

According to researchers, police in Leicestershire logged almost 300 incidents of motorists losing their cool last year.

The Road Rage Index, compiled by car group Motorfinity, sent Freedom of Information requests to police forces across the country.

Of those that replied, only Cardiff had more incidents in which the term “road rage” was included in the report.

It topped the list with 301 incidents, with Leicester second with 291 – as well as 63 cases of dangerous driving and five of careless driving.

A combined total of 240 incidents put Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton in third.

Daniel Briggs, Motorfinity chief executive, said although all the top 10 cities in the list are very busy urban areas, it does not necessarily follow that more motorists means more anger.

He said: “The fact the top few cities have so many more incidents than others suggests that drivers there may unknowingly copy each other’s bad behaviour.

“These results show there are some clear hotspots when it comes to angry or impatient drivers.

“It’s never ideal to be on the receiving end of road rage, but it’s also pretty unpleasant to be a regularly angry driver.

“Motoring should be an enjoyable experience, or at least one that people don’t dread.

“Given that road rage is generally considered commonplace, it’s likely that someone experiencing it has also been on the receiving end of another driver’s anger at some point.

“So, it’s worth remembering a car door probably doesn’t insulate your emotions as much as you first think”.