All the rage

New research from insurer AAMI has found that half of Australian drivers at some stage have verbally abused or sworn at other drivers. In other parlance, they have experienced the phenomenon categorised in recent times as "road rage".

The three-year research programme, which is co-funded by AAMI and the Australian Research Council and is now in its second year, shows that 50 per cent of Australian drivers have verbally abused another driver. Of these, 82 per cent feel their reaction was justified -- which is in apparent conflict with the survey's finding that 87 per cent claim to be more benign in their attitudes towards other drivers who transgress normal codes of conduct.

According to AAMI corporate affairs manager Reuben Aitchison, "There's this odd disconnect on our roads, in that if you ask people how they should respond to rude or aggressive driving behaviours, the vast majority say you should ignore the other driver or signal an apology. But when push comes to shove, we let rip."

Verbal abuse is one thing, but a more worrying fact is the escalation that sometimes follows, from tailgating to actual physical attack.

"It might start out with flipping them the bird or loudly questioning their parentage, but this can lead to far more serious consequences, with 10 per cent of those we surveyed being forced off the road and two per cent being physically assaulted," Aitchison said.

The result is that two-thirds of Australian drivers are in fear of becoming victims of a road rage attack.

In attempting to discover the things that trigger road rage, the research programme includes a driving simulator that exposes participants to potential road rage situations.

The bottom line sounds like an exercise in Zen Buddhism: "If someone cuts you off, you may think they're a jerk, but it's just not worth the aggro -- take a deep breath, keep calm and carry on driving safely," says Reuben Aitchison.

In other research into driving behaviour, AAMI has also discovered that only half of young drivers hitting the road for the first time feel they have been adequately prepared.

AAMI's 11th annual Young Driver's Index, which will be published in April, shows 71 per cent of drivers aged between 18 and 24 think a safe-driving course should be compulsory for young drivers.

The survey also found that young drivers believed that further driver training should be mandatory for learners before qualifying for a driver's licence. 63 per cent believed that a minimum number of hours should be spent with a qualified driving instructor before qualifying for a driver's licence.

According to Tony Barber, who manages AAMI's Skilled Drivers programme, which has been providing training courses for P-plate drivers for 30 years, "What many young people don't understand when they get their licence is the limitations of their experience. Often they don't understand the consequences of the decisions they make such as adding that extra 10km/h or answering the phone.

"Young drivers also don't necessarily understand the limitations of their vehicle and that their driving must be adapted to match the road conditions. The focus is on simply passing the test rather than understanding the link between decisions and outcomes on the road."