Although the report is from Great Britain, it’s interesting to note that an estimated 2.5 million accidents on British roads have been related to what MoneyHighStreet.com refers to as “romantic road rage.”
At some time in our lives we’ve all more than likely been guilty of slamming the car door and peeling out in a rage. That’s likely what happened when Tiger Woods hit that tree in his driveway and vaulted himself and his family into a media storm of negative publicity about his extramarital affairs.
The site quoted by MoneyHighStreet actually attempts to rate the severity of the incident with a “blazing row” earning 12 units on the suggested scale. Whether you’re hacked off at your spouse or just plain hacked off, being angry behind the wheel is a bad thing for you and for anyone who happens to get in your way regardless of any standard of measurement.
Of those involved in the British survey, 46% said they paid far less attention to their driving when they were angry — no shock there — and 19% admitted to driving erratically in the wake of a domestic dispute.
It’s recommended that if you are angry, take at least an hour to cool off before getting behind the wheel. Your body experiences both emotional and physical stresses during periods of anger and both need to dissipate before you can apply the appropriate level of concentration required for safe driving.
Like text messaging and other instances of distracted driving, “romantic” and other forms of road rage are a fatal cocktail of inattention and bad decisions. One thing is for certain, you won’t have to worry about your insurance rates going up if you’re dead, but you may have a great deal more to worry about than your premiums if, as a result of your mental state, you kill the guy in the other car.