Perth traffic: Tailgating and road rage is plaguing WA roads, RAC survey shows

Tailgating and road rage is plaguing WA roads to the point that nearly half of all WA drivers say they’ve been yelled at or confronted by other motorists in the past 12 months. As the WA road toll soars to levels not seen in years, a new survey by the RAC has exposed the shocking rate of road rage incidents occurring on Perth roads on a regular basis. The new RAC ‘driver habits’ survey has revealed some of the worst habits other drivers notice on the roads, with tailgating and poor merging topping the list. The five worst behaviours, according to 5000 plus survey respondents, were: A staggering 87 per cent of those surveyed said they’d experienced tailgating in the past 12 months. The survey also found 69 per cent of people had been rudely gestured at by other motorists, and a further 40 per cent had been yelled at or confronted by another driver. More than 30 per cent of those surveyed said they’d been involved in a ‘near-miss’ incident caused by road rage. The findings are sure to make for grim reading, as WA experiences a shocking year so far in terms of fatalities. So far this year, 128 people have died on WA roads. That’s 23 more than this time last year. RAC external relations general manager Will Golsby said the survey findings clearly showed WA drivers needed to do better. “Everyone gets frustrated on the roads at times but keeping calm behind the wheel is one of the most important ways to prevent the unnecessary crashes that occur every day,” Mr Golsby said. “Tailgating is incredibly dangerous and can turn minor frustrations into serious situations that greatly increase the risk of an incident occurring. “With WA on track to record one of the worst levels of road trauma in over a decade it has never been more important to remember the responsibility we all have when we get behind the wheel.” A whopping 88 per cent of those surveyed by the RAC study rated their own driving as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ but only 26 per cent said the same of other motorists. “It appears many people rate their own driving skills much higher than those around them, which may be contributing to a sense of complacency on our roads,” Mr Golsby added. The State Government has become so worried about the road toll, that a road safety summit was held last Monday to address the crisis. The WA Police major crash squad is also in the process of being boosted with extra officers to cope with the number of fatalities. Police Commissioner Col Blanch - who was among those to attend last week’s summit - said on Tuesday he hoped the meeting would ultimately lead to better outcomes for all WA road users. But he said driver behaviour and the decisions drivers make before they get into their cars was also a major factor in crashes. “This does come squarely down to driver behavior and attitude on the road,” he said. “Ultimately, your right foot is only connected to one brain and that is the person in the car and if you want to be doing warp factor nine, the outcome sadly and tragcially ... is you’re probably not going to live.” Road Trauma Support WA: 1300 004 814

Perth traffic: Tailgating and road rage is plaguing WA roads, RAC survey shows

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