Aggressive driving can have a ripple effect
Posted Dec 9, 2015 7:07 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It can be easy to take out your frustration behind the wheel, but a new study finds a little holiday cheer can prevent further road rage.
The survey done by the London School of Economics for Goodyear, looked at over 9000 drivers, in 15 European countries.
Fifty-five per cent of motorists fully admitted, if they see another driver behaving badly, including tailgating, yelling, gesturing, and competing, they were more likely to follow suit.
On the other hand, 87 per cent said an act of kindness, like a thank-you wave, or someone allowing them to merge, would see them pay it forward.
Olivier Rousseau, Goodyear Vice President Consumer Tires, Europe, Middle East and Africa, says we rarely look at the roads as a social setting, when we should be.
“We urge drivers to remember what a strong effect their own behavior has on the behavior of others. Our study suggests that aggressive and combative driving behavior by one driver can initiate a chain of reactions between other drivers and eventually cause a dangerous situation or even an accident some time later while the originator has already moved on. It is up to all of us to stop this ripple effect on the road,” he said.
