Alberta drivers believe road rage on the rise, new survey finds

From aggressive manoeuvres to full-blown road rage, Albertans believe their fellow drivers are becoming increasingly hot under the collar, according to a new survey by the Alberta Motor Association.

About 57 percent of Albertans believe aggressive driving has become more prevalent in the past three years, according to the newly released safetysurvey of 1,800 respondents conducted in May 2017.

"One of the most regular areas where we hear from our members are their concerns about risky driving behaviours on the road," said Jeff Kasbrick, vice-president of government and stakeholder relations with the AMA.

"We wanted to get a snap shot of that."

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There was a veritable buffet of bad behaviour behind the wheel, according to drivers surveyed.

Asked about the bad behaviours they most commonly encountered, 59 per cent named tailgating, 42 per cent said it was another driver blocking them from changing lanes, 38 per cent cited being purposely cut off.

Another 33 per cent were regularly honked at, and 33 per cent said they were often on the receiving end of "angry gestures."

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Among those surveyed, 49 per cent said they believe road rage has become more common in the past three years.

"Road rage is where you have those most horrific cases of direct contact between vehicles, or you have motorists getting out and having a confrontation," Kasbrick said.

"Certainly it's a subset of aggressive driving. But it stands out on itsown, because of just how egregious those cases are."

While only fourper cent of people reported being direct targets of road rage, the survey points to a real problem on Alberta roads, said Kasbrick.

He's encouraging Albertans to take a kinder approach behind the wheel.

"Fortunately, many of us do not encounter it," said Kasbrick. "But if that perception is out there ... we need to be vigilant.

"We define the kind of driving community that we want to be a part of, and avoiding these behaviours is a quick and easy way to make sure we're all having a bit more of an enjoyable ride."

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