While stereotypes about Canadians being nice and polite certainly have some truth to them, those assumptions should not be applied to the drivers in this country.
According to a newly published study by RatesDotCa, a whopping 78% of Canadian drivers witnessed road rage in the last year. Meanwhile, more than half (51%) admitted to engaging in aggressive behaviour behind the wheel.
Of all the behaviours that can be classified under road rage, honking was the most common with 35% of respondents admitting to doing it. Alternatively, only 3% of people admitted to stopping and exiting one’s vehicle to confront another driver, making it the least common.
rates.ca
Survey results indicated that more than a quarter (28%) of Canadian drivers have witnessed an accident unfold due to road rage in the last year versus only 8% who admitted to being involved in one as a result.
A similar disparity was found between the number of Canadians who have either been cut off by another driver or have done it themselves (14%) compared to the number who have seen other drivers cut off another vehicle (58%). According to the pollsters, “such a contrast may suggest some drivers who claim to only witness this behaviour may cut off other vehicles without even realizing it.”
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Anger and frustration are obviously the root causes of aggressive behaviour on the road, and less than half (38%) of the survey’s respondents say they have ways to effectively manage their anger while driving. To make matter worse, one in five (20%) don’t take any action at all to calm down.
To compile the data for this study, an online survey of 1,507 Canadians (1,341 licensed drivers) was completed by RatesDotCa between June 17 and 19, 2022, using Leger’s online panel.
Despite a few unnerving stats, Canada still ranked highly (22nd place) among this year’s edition of Zutobi’s list of the world’s safest countries to drive in. Norway was the safest while South Africa was deemed the most dangerous.