WA driver behaviour making others nervous
22 July 2010
Seventy per cent of people who took part in a recent RAC survey said they would go out of their way, including driving in a different direction, to avoid a stressful situation on the roads.
The driver anxiety survey, conducted through the RAC’s e-newsletter, found that mistakes made by other road users were the greatest cause of anxiety for motorists, followed by driving next to large trucks and making a right turn across busy lanes of two-way traffic.
RAC Head of Member Advocacy Matt Brown said drivers were often intimidated by the behaviour of other road users.
“The actions like tailgating and not merging safely are some of top reasons why drivers are nervous on the roads,” he said.
“Motorists need to consider how their behaviour might impact other road users – the roads are there to be used by all road users not just individuals.”
Driving during severe weather was also named as something that induces driver stress.
Of the respondents who said they deliberately avoided certain driving situations, 50 per cent named a previous negative driving experience as being responsible for making them more anxious.
A recent study by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) found that a range of distractions in urban areas, such as billboards and other roadside signage, also increased anxiety levels and resulted in motorists being unable to fully focus on their driving.
RAC driver anxiety survey
Which of the following situations make you nervous when you drive? (Ranked from greater to lesser significance)
| 1. |
Other drivers' mistakes |
| 2. |
Driving next to large trucks |
| 3. |
Turning right across busy lanes of two-way traffic |
| 4. |
Overtaking cyclists |
| 5. |
Night driving |
| 6. |
Overtaking on country roads |
| 7. |
Driving on wet roads |
| 8. |
Busy highways and freeways |
| 9. |
Busy intersections |
| 10. |
Parking |
| 11. |
Driving on roads with dirt shoulders |
Do you ever take actions to deliberately avoid a difficult driving situation, such as taking a different direction or driving at a different time of day? Yes = 70%
No = 26%
Do you believe a previous negative driving experience has made you more anxious in some situations?
Yes = 50%
No = 47%
If you answered ‘yes’ to the question above, what was that negative driving experience? Accident = 44%
Near miss accident = 30%
Road rage attack = 13%
Other: Impatient drivers, tailgating, speeding drivers
Download the release (pdf)