Despite what it says on our licence plates, Manitoba’s drivers may not be all that friendly.
According to a recent survey by Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), three in 10 drivers in the province admit to having committed ‘acts of road rage’ after being frustrated behind the wheel.
“Anger is often displayed by shouting, cursing or making rude gestures… or more rarely, extreme actions, such as forcing a car off the road and worse,” said MPI’s Satvir Jatana.
“Angry drivers are more likely to engage in unsafe driving behavior such as drive aggressively, or may even become distracted by their anger.
“Not surprisingly, they are at a higher risk of causing or getting into a collision. Research confirms that those who drive anger-free have 35 per cent reduced odds of collision involvement.”
MPI’s survey also found that nearly three-quarters of drivers admitted to speeding up to get through a yellow light, and four in 10 admitted to weaving in and out of traffic.
“As we work toward saving more lives on our roadways, we must embrace a new culture for drivers – including the belief that one fatality is too many, and high-risk driving behaviours are no longer acceptable,” said Jatana.
MPI doesn’t track collision data when it comes to road rage incidents but said repeat high-risk behaviour can result in the suspension of driving privileges and affect your placement on the Driver Safety Rating scale.
A public awareness campaign will be launched by MPI this month to help raise awareness about the dangers of angry driving.
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