Warm weather leads to hot heads on Ontario roads

- Young drivers admit to bad behaviour and taking frustration out on other drivers according to the ingenie Road Rage Report –

- Take a quiz at https://www.ingenie.ca/keep-cool to Rate Your Road Rage –

- View the infographic at https://www.ingenie.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Keepcool-ingenie-canada.jpg -

TORONTO, July 6, 2015 /CNW/ - Young drivers in Ontario have plenty of gripes about other drivers on the road, and tempers could flare this summer as construction related delays add to driver frustration. According to the ingenie Road Rage Report, summer is the most infuriating driving season; 58% of young drivers are frustrated by construction related delays in the summer while only 18% are bothered by bad weather in the winter.

"Nobody likes traffic delays and cranky drivers can lead to conflict on the road. But, as a driver your top priority needs to be safety. It's important not to let emotions get the best of you," says Lorie Phair, CEO of ingenie Canada, a telematics based auto insurance provider for Ontario drivers aged 16 to 24. "Keep a cool head, and don't let outside influences take over. Instead, concentrate on what you can control, which is your own driving."

Results from the ingenie Road Rage Report

Young Ontario drivers name the top 5 annoying behaviours by other drivers as:

• Being rude on the road (81%)
• Using their phones (77%)
• Tailgating (74%)
• Failing to signal (73%)
• Braking suddenly (70%)

Tempers flare fast – even in the drive-thru

• What infuriates young drivers the most? City driving. 
• The most frustrating settings for young drivers are city streets (82%), highways (47%) and parking lots (32%).
  • Road rage isn't always limited to the roads: 3% of young drivers admit they get frustrated with other drivers even in drive-thrus.
• 60% of young drivers are also irritated by cyclists who do not obey the rules of the road.
• One in five drivers (20%) surveyed admit their tempers flare faster when driving than in other settings.

Young drivers admit to bad behaviour

While Ontario drivers get mad at rude drivers, they don't deny adding to the inhospitable environment on the road. Many admit they have taken frustration out on other drivers with behaviour such as:

• Beeping at other drivers (51%)
• Flashing their lights at other drivers (29%)
• Making offensive hand gestures at other drivers (14%)
• On the more extreme end, 5% of Ontario young drivers admit they have used their car to intimidate other drivers. In fact, 37% of young drivers rated their level of road rage to be medium to high.

"As a driver, you are responsible for controlling your own vehicle. It's an important duty that requires your complete attention," says Phair. "While you may become annoyed by other drivers' bad habits, it's not your responsibility to reprimand them. Don't get emotional, just focus on the task at hand – arriving at your destination safely."

ingenie offers the following six tips to help young drivers stay cool on the roads this summer:

1. Plan your route in advance: If you know of one or two alternative routes, you can change course if you hit bad traffic.
   
   
2. Leave early: It's easier to stay calm when you aren't worried about being late.
   
   
3. Be considerate to other drivers: Be the change you would like to see on the road! Let someone merge ahead of you. Getting a smile or a 'thank you' for being considerate may restore your faith in other drivers.
   
   
4. Get a good night's sleep: We all get cranky when we're tired. Not only do you need to be alert when you're driving but getting enough sleep can help keep you calm behind the wheel.
   
   
5. Don't drive if you're in a bad mood: A stressful day can contribute to road rage, so make sure you're in a good head space before you take the wheel. Try putting on some relaxing music if you feel yourself becoming frustrated.
   
   
6. Don't let hungry turn to hangry: Be sure to stop along the route to eat something. This way you'll manage frustration that hunger adds to driving and avoid getting hangry.

Take a 10 question quiz at https://www.ingenie.ca/keep-cool to rate your road rage and find out how well you keep your cool while driving. Follow the conversation about Road Rage online using the hashtag #keepcool.

About ingenie

ingenie is an innovative young driver insurance brand that uses telematics technology to reward safe driving with savings. ingenie builds a picture of a driver's individual style, awareness and safety on the road, rewarding those who drive well with up to an extra 25% Good Driving Discount and helping those who need improvement become safer. ingenie was awarded the prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in 2013, in recognition of its work to help make young drivers safer on the road. Among a number of industry awards, ingenie has won best start-up at the 2014 British Insurance Awards and insurance innovation of the year at the Insurance Times Awards. To learn more about ingenie, or to get an online quote, visit www.ingenie.ca or call 184-ingenie-1 (1-844-643-6431).

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About the ingenie Road Rage Report

Results are based on an online survey conducted for ingenie by Student Life Network between May 25 to May 26, 2015. A total of 604 interviews were collected from Ontario students who are licensed drivers.

SOURCE ingenie

Image with caption: "ingenie, a young driver insurance brand that uses telematics technology to reward safe driving with savings, surveyed young drivers to find out what gives them road rage and how they deal with it. www.ingenie.ca (CNW Group/ingenie)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150706_C6289_PHOTO_EN_434797.jpg