Road rage is heating up in New Zealand
A survey of 1000 Kiwis commissioned by AA Insurance has found that road rage and distractions are on the rise.
Concerningly, the survey found that 28% of Kiwis have been involved in a road rage incident in the past year, (with drivers aged 18 to 29 years old at the most risk), and 46% of respondents believe road rage has become worse since the start of the Covid19 pandemic – a figure that is significantly higher among Aucklanders (53%).
Although the survey did not specify what constitutes ‘‘road rage’’, it found that 30% of males nationally said they had been involved in a road rage incident versus 26% of females.
Beau Paparoa, head of motor claims at AA Insurance, said ‘‘We are heading into the first summer in years without Covid-19 travel restrictions . . . so we are expecting to see plenty of traffic on the roads.
‘‘We know it can be stressful sharing the roads at a chaotic time of year, when your resilience may be low and you just want to get to your destination, but we all know that getting angry and impulsive while behind the wheel is never worth it – it is a recipe for disaster,’’ Paparoa said.
Of the drivers surveyed, 41% ranked other road users (cyclists, drivers, e-scooter users, pedestrians) as the biggest distraction while driving – up from 37% in 2018. Texting or using a mobile phone ranked second, with 26% of respondents saying this was most likely to distract them behind the wheel.
The respondents also identified distracted drivers as the biggest threat to their own safety on the roads, with 69% of them saying that other drivers who were eating, using mobile phones or in-car entertainment posed the biggest risk to them and their passengers.
More ‘‘safety issue’’ gems gleaned from the survey were: at 65% was dangerous or careless drivers, and at 58% was poorly maintained roads and driving under the influence of alcohol.