Research Shows Link Between Road Rage and Stress In the Workplace

A new study has drawn firm links between road rage incidents and workplace-related stress, as well as revealing the extent of the problem on the UK's roads.

According to research carried out by BigChange, a workforce technology company, one in five drivers are the victim of road rage every week. That 20 per cent of drivers equates to around 7.5m road users, while a further two million motorists stated that they are the subject of road rage every day.

The study of 1,000 drivers, which was commissioned as part of the Leaders for Life campaign to promote safer driving at work, found that road rage was most common amongst younger drivers, with 42 per cent of 18-34 year olds admitting to venting their anger on the roads at least once a week. Of those in the 35-54 age bracket, 20 per cent were regular road ragers, while anger among the over 55s fell to seven per cent. Women were also shown to be more prone to road rage than men by nine per cent.

Concerned companies such as TheWellbeings.London have been quick to establish how the trials and tribulations of the workplace are having an effect on motorists, with founding partner Paul Hackett commenting; ““Working hard, late-night shifts, tight deadlines are among the litany of workplace factors that have a psychological impact on employees. If those employees then carry their stress with them behind the wheel, we know the likelihood of them driving erratically is significantly higher.

“Anger narrows a driver’s focus of attention, most often resulting in the driver becoming territorial and impatient – which, in turn, means the driver is more likely to speed or commit other inappropriate driving behaviour,”

Stress is accountable for 40 per cent of all workplace-related illnesses in the whole UK, so it's no surprise that it is translating into anger on the roads. This anger can manifest as what is typically known as road rage, but can also see drivers taking more risks, such as driving aggressively, speeding, passing through red lights and driving too close to the car in front. It is important to ensure that you are calm before starting your journey in order to minimise the risk of causing an accident.

If you have been the victim of a non-fault accident, perhaps one that was caused by another motorist's road rage or aggressive driving, then contact Winns through our LiveChat tool today. Our team is on hand to start your claim and get you the compensation, treatment, and vehicle repairs that you deserve.

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