Multi-award-winning online driver profiling and e-driver training provider E-Training World has launched a new training module focused on road rage.
According to recent research from Compare The Market, more than two in three (69.5%) drivers in the UK report experiencing road rage, with over one in 10 (12%) admitting it’s a weekly occurrence for them.
Inside our vehicles, it is easy to feel isolated and forget that people have other priorities. When we’re all frustrated by traffic, people can make mistakes or complete impolite driving manoeuvres, leading to anger from other frustrated drivers and a cascade of hostility.
Graham Hurdle, managing director at E-Training World, comments, “Road rage can pose a significant threat to health and safety for everyone on the road and put drivers at risk of prosecution. With congestion on our roads increasing, we felt it was important to design a training module that addressed the common causes of road rage and trained drivers in how to react if faced with an angry driver.”
According to the research, the most common cause of road rage is when other drivers do not indicate. Tailgating comes in a close second, followed by being cut up, slow driving and merging at the last minute.
Thankfully, there are several strategies drivers can adopt to reduce the risk of experiencing road rage, such as playing cognitive-behavioural games, using breathing exercises or even listening to soothing music. Drivers often get frustrated because they are in a hurry and can’t get to their destination quickly enough because of traffic. Leaving earlier can help drivers feel more relaxed and less likely to react angrily. Keeping a safe distance can also help drivers avoid potential road rage situations.
“Anger often causes drivers to drive faster than normal, to switch lanes erratically, to drive too close to the person in front of them, and to engage in other risky driving behaviours,” Graham added. “You can’t control another driver’s behaviour, but you can control your own. How you react to a situation determines what happens next. If you back off, take a deep breath and remain calm, you can defuse a potentially damaging situation.”
E-Training World is a two-time winner of the BusinessCar Techies’ Best Risk Management’ Award and a company that pioneered online driver profiling and training. As well as serving some of the largest fleet operators in the UK, they provide branded/white-labelled systems to many of the best-known companies in the fleet sector. These include insurance companies, fleet management specialists, accident management providers, driver training businesses, vehicle rental specialists and other fleet sector suppliers.
