Twenty-five Percent Of Americans Admit Driving Aggressively

30 June 1998

Twenty-five Percent Of Americans Admit Driving Aggressively

    ORLANDO, Fla.--June 30, 1998--One-fourth of Americans acknowledge that they engage in aggressive driving, according to a recent national survey conducted by AAA. With nearly 180 million registered U.S. drivers, this translates into 45 million people driving aggressively.
    Of those who acknowledge engaging in aggressive driving, the most common forms of the behavior are speeding, 58 percent; expressing anger at other motorists, 26 percent; changing lanes excessively, 23 percent; tailgating and running red lights or stop signs, 11 percent each; and other, 5 percent. (Editor's Note: Respondents could choose more than one behavior).
    According to the survey, the primary reasons given for driving aggressively are "running late" and slow moving traffic in the left lane. Other factors cited include being angry over non-driving issues before getting behind the wheel, traffic congestion and being angered by the actions of other drivers. When running late or slow traffic in the fast lane are cited as the primary reasons, the resulting aggressive driving behavior most frequently takes the form of tailgating, running red lights/stop signs or excessive lane changes.
    The terms aggressive driving and road rage are often used interchangeably. This study focuses on aggressive driving, which AAA defines as: The operation of a motor vehicle without regard for other motorists' safety, which is often the result of anger or frustration. Road rage, by contrast, involves a deliberate attempt to harm other persons or property arising from an incident involving the use of a motor vehicle.
    The nationwide telephone opinion research survey was conducted with 942 respondents.
    AAA has several projects underway designed to address the aggressive driving problem. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety distributed radio public service announcements last February and has published a brochure on how to deal with aggressive driving. A video to help drivers manage their anger is intended for use by individuals or in driving classes and will be completed this fall.
    A copy of the AAA 1998 aggressive driving survey is attached.
    AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 96 clubs with 1,100 offices providing more than 40 million members in the United States and Canada with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.