Study finds angry drivers an accident waiting to happen

37% say abiding by law impedes traffic flow.

By TALYA HALKIN
car accident 88 (photo credit: )
car accident 88
(photo credit: )
Drivers who are angry and aggressive on the road and take it out on other motorists are likely candidates for a car accident, according to a new study released by the University of Haifa's School of Public Health. The study, which examined 111 participants in a preventive driving course, found this form of behavior may endanger the driver directly, but also might endanger other drivers - such as when entering a blocked intersection or double parking. The study found that such drivers were twice as likely to be involved in accidents, and that these accidents caused more casualties than other kinds of accidents. The study also revealed that more than half the drivers surveyed had problematic opinions on safety issues. Fifty-seven percent of those surveyed believed that the speed limit is too low, 38% of them believed that a good driver knew he could take a risk, 37% believed that adhering to the law impeded traffic flow, and 53% believed that policemen should cancel reports given for faulty driving if the driver made a positive impression on them. In addition, 57% of the participants in the survey said they would block a parking car to jump out and buy something, and 61% admitted they grabbed a vacated parking spot even while another driver was waiting to take it. Almost half the drivers noted that they tended to lose their temper easily, and 28% said they sometimes felt like "a barrel of explosives on the verge of exploding."