SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A new survey of America's commuters reveals some interesting facts. Chief among them: many folks text and drive, while far more -- especially women -- have a tendency to fly off the handle.
The study was conducted by Harris Interactive between May 14 and June 4 of this year. Over 3,800 commuters were surveyed, all of whom were employed full-time and most of whom (83%) drove to their workplaces. For the purposes of the study, Harris limited participants to those who were not self-employed and not in government jobs.
When all the dust had settled, Harris found that America has some very angry drivers, and quite a few who aren't entirely safety-conscious. Here are the major takeaways:
•Women are more prone to road rage than men. Of those surveyed, 61% of women said that they had experienced road rage, compared to 56% of men.
•Younger drivers are more prone to road rage than older ones. Roughly 68% of respondents between 25 and 34 years old said they experienced road rage, while just 47% of those 55 and older said the same.
•It's too darn hot (for road rage): 17% of those surveyed said they experienced less road rage during the summer months, while 10% said they experienced more.
•Roughly 9% of commuters have actually gotten into a fight with another commuter.
•Almost one in four commuters -- 24% to be precise -- has been involved in an accident en route to work. We'd expect that figure to be a little higher because...
•Fully 30% of commuters have sent text messages while driving to and from work.
The study was commissioned by CareerBuilder -- which, to be fair, has an interest in pointing out the dangers of commuting, since that might encourage more folks to use the site to look for new jobs. Among the tips that CareerBuilder offers for making commutes less stressful are leaving earlier, taking public transportation, and playing easy-listening tunes en route. We agree with that last one: Judas Priest, like gin, can't be fully enjoyed until lunchtime.
Commuters: do these stats jibe with your own experiences? How do you cope with the stress of driving to and from work? (Please don't say, "By beating the crap out of the schmuck who cut me off".) Drop us a line, or leave a note in the comments below.
