More than three quarters of men behave aggressively in traffic

It seems obvious to us that men are much more aggressive in traffic than women. But it still surprises us that more than three quarters of men sometimes act out on the streets.

A study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that nearly 80 percent of American drivers are guilty of some form of aggressive behavior on the road.

Aggressive behavior in traffic

What exactly should we think about?

• Sudden lane changes or tailgating (26 percent)
• Raising the middle finger or honking (32 percent)
• Running red lights (31 percent)
• Drive faster if someone wants to overtake (25 percent)
• Drive closer to a vehicle in front so that someone cannot merge (34 percent)

Of course, this is an American study, so the situation here will be slightly different, but the results are still interesting.

More men than women

For example, 78 percent of men and only 18 percent of women behave unpleasantly in traffic. And that Millennials (29 to 43 years old) are the most aggressive.

Now we need to nuance these numbers about men and women. It is – and this is another obvious point – mainly young men who express themselves aggressively.

More traffic to CBR

To also point out the situation in the Netherlands: In 2023, 24,000 drivers had to report to the CBR for a course or test. The increase in the number of traffic accidents is striking.

In 2022, 1964 drivers were reported to the CBR due to their behavior. By 2023, this number will have increased to no less than 5,528.

CBR director Alexander Pechtold says it is very worrying that many people are still driving under the influence of alcohol and that the driving behavior of drivers also leaves something to be desired.