Sunday, May 31, 2015

Survey: Texters, tailgaters incite road rage

Texting while driving and tailgating are the behaviors most likely to elicit road rage from other motorists, the 2014 Road Rage Report from travel site Expedia finds.

Some 69% of drivers surveyed rated those who text behind the wheel as the worst of the worst for rudeness -- or being an outright threat -- in traffic. Next comes the ever-present tailgater at 60%; multitaskers who try to pile on several activities at once besides driving at 54%, those who drift out of their lane at 43% and slow pokes,at 39%.

Some 69% of those surveyed say they have been "flipped off" by a fellow motorist. Only 17% say they have delivered the obscene gesture to other drivers, the survey of 1,001 drivers found. Expedia says the survey has an error rate of plug or minus 3.1%.

"As the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day sees a huge spike in the number of drivers on the road," says John Morrey, Expedia.com's general manager, in a statement. "The rule, as with airplanes and hotels, is that shared spaces demand decorum and attentiveness."

The list of bad traffic behavior isn't limited to texting, tailgating and the others. The survey also excoriates what it terms:

•The Swerver (failing to signal before changing lanes or turning):

38%

•The Left-Lane Hog (drivers who occupy the passing lane without moving):

32%

•The Inconsiderate (those who do not let others merge):

30%

•The Speeder (driving well past the speed limit at length):

27%

•The Honker (drivers who slam the horn at will):

18%

•The Unappreciative (drivers who do not give a wave or gesture of thanks):

13%

•The Red Light Racer (drivers who inch ever closer to the light when red):

12%

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