Is road rage increasing? Results of a repeated survey.

Problem: We report on trends in road rage victimization and perpetration based on population survey data.

Method: Based on repeated cross-sectional telephone surveys of Ontario adults between July 2001 and December 2003, logistic regression analyses examined differences between years in road rage victimization and perpetration in the previous year controlling for demographic characteristics.

Results: The prevalence of any road rage victimization in the previous year decreased significantly from 47.5% in 2001 to 40.6% in 2003, while prevalence of any road rage perpetration remained stable (31.0% to 33.6%). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the odds of experiencing any road rage victimization was 33% higher in 2001 and 30% higher in 2002, than in 2003.

Discussion: Survey data provide a valuable perspective on road rage trends, but efforts to track road rage incidents is also needed.

Summary: In Ontario, the proportion of adults experiencing any road rage victimization decreased from 2001 to 2003 while the proportion reporting any road rage perpetration remained stable.

Impact On Industry: None.