A recent report by Career Builders details a study on how road rage may be caused by others who are simultaneously driving and texting. The findings in this 2012 report are similar to the results of a 2006 study. Greater public awareness of the results and recommendations of this widely circulated study may influence motorists’ behavior and prevent a car accident, making roads safer.
Of the almost 4,000 participants in the 2012 study, a staggering 30 percent acknowledged that they had texted while driving. Most of these texting-drivers were between the ages of 25 and 34.
Within this same age group, 68 percent have felt road rage, while 47 percent of workers who were 55 and older had also driven while angry.
Almost 25 percent of the study’s participants had been in a car accident on the way to work. The report indicates that road rage can be caused by other drivers that were texting. The report also detailed how road rage considerably drops when the weather is warmer. Just 17 percent of the participants reported road rage during the summer months, indicating that more pleasant weather can lead to a more pleasant commute.
Recommendations from the study include allowing employees some flexibility in their scheduling, so that people don’t have to drive during peak rush hours. Another suggestion was to use public transportation. Additional recommendations include listening to relaxing music or to books in order to have a more relaxed drive to and from work.
When drivers are distracted they cause significantly more car accidents, which is prompting more states to consider laws targeting texting while driving and other unsafe distractions. In Louisiana, it is illegal to text while driving. Though this has not stopped drivers from texting completely, it may be making our roads a little safer.
Source: NBC Chicago, “Texting-While-Driving May Lead to Road Rage: Report,” Alexandra Fisher, July 18, 2012
