Survey by NRMA ranks the top most aggravating driving behaviours and most courteous 🚗
An NRMA survey has uncovered the most important acts of courteous drivers. More than 2,000 NRMA members scattered through metro, regional and rural areas of NSW and the ACT took part in the survey.
So what were the top ranked forms of courteous driving behaviour? Using an indicator when merging or changing lanes was identified as the most important form of ‘courteous’ driving behaviour, with 97 percent of motorists rating is as ‘very important’. Second on the list was not using a mobile phone illegally at 95 percent, and third was maintaining a safe gap from the car ahead, with 91 percent. For a look at the top 10 rank, scroll below.
Geographic location, types of driving (i.e. local, highway, country roads) and frequency of driving played a significant role in what behaviour respondents considered important.
For example, more regional (78%) and rural (77%) members rated ‘only driving in the fast/right lane when necessary‘ important than members in metro areas (71%). A wave to say thank you when another driver lets you in or pulls over to let you go first in a narrow street continues to be as essential part of courteous driving, with 97% of drivers rating it ‘very important’ or ‘somewhat important’.
“What the results of this survey show is that being considerate towards other motorists, even something as simple as a thank you wave, can help make driving much less stressful for everybody,” says NRMA CEO of motoring and membership, Emma Harrington.
“Caring about other road users is part and parcel of being a safe and courteous driver.”
Most aggravating driving behaviours
The survey also asked members what driving behaviours were the most aggravating, with ‘tailgating/erratic driving‘ topping the list at 49%.
‘Failing to use an indicator‘ (35%) and ‘using a phone illegally‘ (34%) were second and third ranked.
Interestingly, illegal phone use is considered more intolerable among regional and rural drivers (37% and 44%) compared to metro drivers (26%).
Road rage continues to be an issues, with 28% of members claiming they had experienced a road rage incident once ot twice in the past year and 71% saying they had been involved in one at some point.
Astonishingly, five percent say they encounter road rage once a week.
Top 10 driving courtesies
- Using and indicator when merging/changing lanes (97%)
- Not using a mobile phone illegally (95%)
- Keeping at least a 3 second gap from the car in front (91%)
- Using an indicator when parking (86%)
- Only driving in the fast/right lane when necessary (74%)
- Allowing other drivers in when merging or changing lanes (74%)
- Giving a courtesy wave to say thank you (72%)
- Giving a courtesy wave to apologise for a driving error (69%)
- Using the horn as a warning only, not to vent frustration (65%)
Note: Percentages indicate how many respondents considered each courtesy ‘very important’. Even though most of these courtesies are in fact the law.
Source:
– NRMA. Top Indicator of a Courteous Driver. Open Road Magazine May/June 2021.
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