Kimiko Kidd
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Study: 95 Percent of Canadians Admit to Road Rage

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Male driver looking angrily out of his window

Canadians are famous for being courteous — but a recent study from InsuranceHotline.com has found that even the normally cool-headed folks in the Great White North can get a little heated on the road. The study found that 95 percent of survey participants admitted to having violent impulses or committing road rage. And despite this statistic, 94 percent of those surveyed describe themselves as courteous drivers. Here’s a closer look at what this study uncovered.


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Dangerous driving habits

The study considered six different aggressive driving habits: Speeding, honking, weaving through traffic, making hostile gestures, tailgating, and hitting the brakes when followed too closely. A whopping 82 percent of drivers admitted to speeding, with British Columbians being the most likely to have a lead foot. The survey results also revealed that 58 percent of respondents fessed up to making rude gestures or shouting at other drivers. This form of road rage was also found to be most common in British Columbia.

As many as 60 percent of survey takers confessed to going a little too hard when honking the horn, a habit that’s apparently most common in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Around 58 percent of drivers confessed to weaving in and out of slow-moving traffic, with Quebecois, Saskatchewanian, and Manitoban drivers being the most likely to engage in this risky maneuver.

Only about 47 of respondents owned up to tailgating a slow-moving vehicle, with Quebecois drivers admitting that they do it the most. On the other hand, 63 percent of drivers admit that they tap their brakes when tailgated — a risky behavior that could lead to a serious accident. Unfortunately, this kind of dangerous driving was common across multiple provinces, with Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Atlantic Canada, and Alberta leading the way.


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Who’s most likely to lash out?

According to the survey results, drivers under 35 were the most likely to speed, tailgate, weave through traffic, and make aggressive gestures towards their fellow road users. Motorists over age 35, on the other hand, had a tendency to hit the brakes when followed too closely and lay on the horn when they’re annoyed. And across all categories, male drivers more frequently exhibited these aggressive driving tactics.

Want to become a safer driver? Check out these tips for brushing up on your driving skills.