Canadian auto insurers take word: Most drivers within the nation have witnessed acts of highway rage, and greater than half have admitted to partaking in it themselves, in keeping with the outcomes of a current survey.
Usually talking, for the drivers, violent acts from highway rage would fall exterior the scope of auto insurance coverage. For instance, part 55(7.1) of B.C.’s Insurance coverage (Automobile) Regulation says an insured driver breaches their insurance coverage contract in the event that they deliberately commit an act of violence with a car “except the insured is a mentally disordered individual on the time of the act.”
However victims of highway rage might have their injury insured, relying on the protection.
A current survey carried out by Leger on behalf of RatesDotCa discovered 83% of Canadian drivers polled reported observing acts of highway rage up to now yr, together with honking, tailgating, rolling down the car window to yell at somebody, and exiting the car to confront somebody. However solely 56% of the 1,545 polled licensed drivers reported partaking in these acts themselves.
“These numbers are up from 2022, with the variety of drivers observing highway rage incidents rising 5 proportion factors, whereas the variety of these partaking in acts of highway rage additionally rising 5 proportion factors,” RatesDotCa says in a press release.
“Street rage continues to be one of the vital harmful driving behaviours on the roads at this time,” says Daniel Ivans, a RatesDotCa insurance coverage skilled and licensed dealer. “Not solely might highway rage result in tickets, high quality and better insurance coverage premiums, it might additionally result in life-altering accidents or fatalities.
“Partaking in any form of highway rage behaviour isn’t value it.”
The survey discovered each women and men present related frequency on the subject of how a lot they have interaction in highway rage (57% in comparison with 55%). However males are considerably extra more likely to have interaction in confrontational person-to-person behaviours, together with rolling down the window to yell at somebody (11% of males in comparison with 6% of ladies), stopping to exit their car to confront one other individual (5% in comparison with 2%) and chopping off one other driver (17% vs. 13%).
Youthful drivers are angrier than others on the highway, the survey discovered. Seven per cent of younger drivers aged 18 to 34 reported stopping and exiting a car to confront somebody up to now yr in contrast with 2% of these aged 35 and older.
In Ontario, dangerous driving accelerated post-pandemic, a 2022 CAA South Central Ontario and DIG Insights examine discovered. Dashing was the commonest harmful driving behaviour noticed, adopted by aggressive driving, unsafe lane modifications, and distracted driving.
Extra just lately, Saskatchewan Authorities Insurance coverage’s May Traffic Safety Spotlight recorded a whole bunch of offences for failing to cease or yield, impaired driving, seatbelt and automotive sea offences and distracted driving, SGI stated in a press launch final week. The identical site visitors security highlight reported 4,155 tickets for rushing and aggressive driving offences.
Function picture by iStock.com/Petko Ninov
