Road Rage: Not A Problem in Canada, eh?

The Pulse of the Driving Nation - Globe Drive Reveals Insights from Behind the Wheel

TORONTO, May 13 /CNW/ - Whether driving carpool, a trip to the office or out for a Sunday drive, Canadians all agree that life on the open road doesn't come without aggravations. According to a new poll by Globe Drive conducted by Harris/Decima, Canadian drivers reveal that traffic and congestion (13%) followed by being cut off by another driver (12%) infuriate them most when they are behind the wheel. But when road rage triggers, how we rant varies from passive behaviour to leaning on the horn.

In today's Globe Drive, columnist Peter Cheney reveals what brings out the beast in us when we're one with our vehicles. Reflecting on his real life examples from coast-to-coast, Cheney recounts his own road rage incidents and how Canadians cope with and avoid road rage.

"Globe Drive has probed into the spirit and passion of driving and what it means to today's drivers," said Simon Beck, custom content manager for The Globe and Mail. "Road rage has become a trigger of human nature, but how we cope, that's where our Canadian culture comes into play".

According to the survey, almost two-thirds of Canadians (62%) claim if cut off by another driver, they'd simply let it go. The most passive drivers are those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with 74 per cent reporting they avoid road rage. Yet, less than half of drivers between the ages of 25 - 34 (48%) will accept being cut off. One-third (32%) of this age group honk the horn in frustration; one-quarter (25%) are significantly more likely than all other age groups to shout or gesture to relieve the aggravation.

Almost one in five (17%) Albertan drivers rely on words and gestures to express their anger, compared to those driving in Atlantic Canada (7%). However, Ontarians (29%) are more likely to honk their horn if cut off compared to those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan (18%) or Albertans (19%).

Drivers were also asked about which category of drivers concerns them most when they're in the driver's seat. According to the survey, drivers are most concerned with drivers who talk and text at the wheel, which may divert their attention from the road (58%). In Alberta, 76 per cent of the drivers surveyed cited talking or texting as a concern. The figure drops to 56 per cent in Ontario and 44 per cent in Quebec. The Ontario numbers may reflect the new laws in place to ban the use of handheld devices while driving.

These results and more from The Globe and Mail's Pulse of the Driving Nation can be found in today's GlobeDrive and at globedrive.com.

GlobeDrive.com features an expanded line-up of editorial and lifestyle content and explores topics, including: our relationships with our cars, family driving, car audio and electronics, green options, car tips, road trips and what the cars we drive say about us, to name just a few.

The Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper, is a division of CTVglobemedia, a dynamic multimedia company, which also owns CTV Inc., Canada's number-one private broadcaster.

About the survey

The data was gathered between March 31st through April 5th, 2010 through Harris/Decima's weekly teleVox, the company's national omnibus survey. A representative sample of 1,002 Canadians were surveyed, of which 889 ever drive. The corresponding margin of error this subgroup is +/-3.3%, 19 times out of 20.

For further information: or to arrange an interview, please contact: Environics Communications, Jill Anzarut or Jennifer Hills, [phone], [phone], [email protected], [email protected]