One of summer’s greatest joys is the reduced volume of freeway traffic during morning and evening rush hours.
With Labor Day looming, however, the congestion will amp up and for at least some of us, so will tempers. From exasperation to frustration to full-blown road rage, emotions run high behind the wheel. We’re territorial, we’re stressed out and we’re in no mood for dithering and delays.
According to the 2014 AutoVantage “In the Driver’s Seat Road Rage Survey,” drivers actually report experiencing fewer unsafe motoring maneuvers compared to the responses in the roadside assistance firm’s 2009 survey on the same topic.
Nationwide, respondents (regular commuters over age 21) said they’re seeing 6 percent less tailgating, 5 percent fewer red-light runners and 6 percent fewer rude lane changers than five years ago.
Detroit, in fact, improved nine spots on the courtesy ranking, moving from the third worst to 12th worst — a “dramatic improvement” as AutoVantage noted.