Northwest Commuters Admit to Aggressive Driving
“He started it.”
“It’s not my fault.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
These phrases often fall from the mouths of babes, but they can equally apply to grown-up, licensed drivers. It’s just as easy to pass blame onto someone else as it is to have a skewed view of our own behavior, especially when it comes to our actions behind the wheel.
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According to a poll conducted by PEMCO Insurance, commuters in Washington and Oregon are getting more aggressive on the road, but when asked about their more intense behavior, most drivers consider the behavior of those driving around them to be worse.
“Drivers now admit to acting aggressive about 2.1 times per month, up from an average of 1.3 risky behaviors reported in 2015,” according to PEMCO’s recent poll results. “Drivers say they see almost five times more acts of aggression in other drivers than they admit to committing themselves (2.1 compared to 9.7).”
And the award for aggressive driving goes to millennials.
“Drivers under 35 admit to an average of 3.3 risky maneuvers per month, compared to 2.0 aggressive acts four years ago, while aggression from drivers over 35 has remained the same at about once per month,” according to the poll.
Despite the increase in road aggression, the poll did reveal that polite drivers, who regularly yield, wave in appreciation, and use their turn signal well in advance, still exist (in abundance) in the Northwest.
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“It’s encouraging to see that drivers here feel our own good deeds outweigh the bad. It’s our hope that we can all see the goodness in our fellow commuters when we’re in the thick of traffic woes, too. Regardless, when we’re in those split-second situations, deciding whether to be considerate or stand our ground, PEMCO urges drivers to continue making decisions that keep us all safe when we’re on the road,” said Derek Wing, PEMCO spokesperson.
News Source: PEMCO Insurance
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