Heading out on the road can be stressful. A 2005 report from the Australian Institute of Criminology found that while methods of recording and measuring road rage were far from perfect, it was a quantifiable issue that needed to be addressed with care.
It’s also been the focus of recent work from the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ). So what did the body find out?
Don’t let frustrations get to you on the road!Your behaviour affects others
You might think you’re the only person getting frustrated when a driver cuts you off, but it turns out there’s a bit of a ripple effect when it comes to road rage. Paul Turner, the general executive manager for advocacy at the RACQ, noted that across their studies, ‘nice’ drivers and aggressive ones both tended to impact surrounding motorists with their behaviour.
By monitoring heart rates, blood pressure and anxiety levels, the RACQ recorded stress indicators across a wide range of scenarios. It’s something to think about – keeping a cool head on the road might improve the habits of everyone around you!
The long-term impacts
Road rage isn’t just dangerous while you’re on the road, it can affect your health later in life.
Road rage isn’t just dangerous while you’re on the road.
“This type of stress has also been shown to cause higher resting blood pressure up to six and a half years later, which can contribute to cardiovascular disease and other long-term health problems,” stated Mr Turner.
“Disturbingly, what we found is many people are unaware of the increased stress and corresponding health risks they’re experiencing, so the danger goes undetected.”
However you like to drive, keep your health at the front of your mind!
The triggers
While there has been ongoing debate about whether or not road rage is just a buzz term invented by the media, the research suggests that it is something severely impacting people’s ability to drive well. Anything that’s stressful is probably something we’d like to cut down on, so being conscious of this and working towards it could be a great idea.
The RACQ noted that the following areas were particular sites where road rage occurred frequently:
- Intersections and roundabouts
- Roadworks
- Blocked roads
- Passing lanes and anywhere people are overtaken
- Narrow roads with minimal proximity to oncoming cars
Stress is never fun, and the more of it you can avoid the better. While we can’t get rid of slow drivers here at Alliance Leasing, we can alleviate stress in a different way – by making it easy to buy a vehicle. Novated lease arrangements are an efficient, cost-effective way of getting on the road. Give us a call to find out more!
