Road Rage Is A Leading Cause Of Road Deaths In The UK
Getting angry in the car can get you into trouble. Almost 800 people lost their lives in the UK last year due to road rage or disrespectful driving. This was confirmed in a report undertaken by AXA insurance in the UK. This is an alarming figure. AXA calculate that almost a billion worth of insurance premium could be save if people learned to hold their temper on the road and show some respect for their fellow drivers.
This report also highlighted other important driving stats. For example, almost four out of ten drivers involved in accidents this year have reported that in the vital moments before the crash, they have been scared or angered by other road users. Out of this 40% figure, more than half report that inconsiderate driving involved speeding; a quarter of people said it was driving erratically and one fifth said that the offending driver was ignoring the rules of the road.
Peter Marsh, a motoring psychologist, read the AXA report and had the following comments to make “The AXA study highlights clearly the powerful psychological forces at work when we get behind the wheel of a car”. He also adds: “Our cars may be safer than before and our roads increasingly designed to reduce accidents but unless we recognise and deal with the strong emotional aspects of driving, the factors that give rise to uncharacteristic belligerence and sheer bloody-mindedness, we may never be able to reduce much further the amount of people who die unnecessarily on Britain’s highways.”
35 per premium is the amount, that AXA UK calculates, that pays for the incidents involving disrespectful driving. This is a large amount. Combine with this the cost of 30 per premium paid by UK motorists for uninsured drivers and you can rightly start to get a bit angry yourself. This study concentrated on the UK. There are very little stats to highlight the problem in Ireland. Is the problem worse? Or is it better? AXA Ireland will be trying to find this out in the near future.
To encourage good behaviour on the roads insurance companies must give incentives to good drivers. Drivers who stay calm and drive well will be awarded with up to a 75% No Claims Discount on car insurance with AXA insurance.
A car crash can occur at any time. Make sure that you are fully covered with AXA insurance. We have many competitive policies including cheap young drivers insurance and van insurance
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