Road Rage on the Rise in Canada: Survey

Vehicles make their way into and out of downtown Toronto along the Gardiner Expressway on November 24, 2016. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)

Road rage is becoming increasingly common on Canadian roads with more than 80 percent of drivers witnessing angry outbursts and aggressive manoeuvres over the past year, according to a newly released poll.

Eighty-three percent of Canadians witnessed road rage in 2023, a five percent increase from the year prior, a Leger survey for auto insurance agency Ratesdotca has found.

A further 56 percent of drivers surveyed have engaged in or were involved in a form of road rage over the past year, up from 51 percent in 2022.

“The lockdowns … quieted down the streets, but once drivers returned on roads, so did the frustrations that led to conflict and collisions between them,” Ratesdotca noted in its report. “Road rage incidents have only worsened since.”

The most common behaviours observed by survey respondents were cutting off another driver at 63 percent, tailgating at 61 percent, and honking at 57 percent.

Forty-eight percent said they have witnessed drivers flashing lights at another vehicle, while 45 percent have witnessed obscene gestures, and 41 percent have seen vehicles brake checking. Thirty-five percent have witnessed a driver rolling down the window to yell at someone while 20 percent of those surveyed have seen a driver stop and exit their vehicle to confront another driver.

The survey found younger drivers—those in the 18 to 34 age bracket—are more likely to engage in aggressive behaviour behind the wheel than their older counterparts. Sixty-seven percent of respondents who admitted to road rage were 34 or younger.

Male drivers are also more likely than their female counterparts to engage in confrontational behaviours such as deliberately cutting off another driver or rolling down their window to yell at someone, the survey found.

Road Congestion

Increasing driver frustration levels appear to be rising as congestion worsens on urban roadways, the survey suggested, noting in particular the volume of traffic in the Toronto region.

Toronto is ranked the 17th worst city in the world for traffic, according to the INRIX 2023 Global Traffic Scorecard. In 2023, Toronto drivers lost the equivalent of 63 hours while sitting in gridlock.

By comparison, Montreal and Vancouver placed 30th and 56th on the list respectively. Drivers in the Quebec city lost the equivalent of 57 hours while Vancouver drivers lost 49 hours.

While frustration over excessive traffic plays a major role in road rage, so too does the need to regain a sense of control, says Dr. Deborah Gilman, owner and chief licensed psychologist at Fox Chapel Psychological Services.

“By tailgating, cutting someone off, or yelling obscenities, they might feel momentarily powerful or dominant over the other driver,” she said in the report. “It’s a fleeting sense of control, but it can be intoxicating in the heat of the moment.”

Many drivers are prone to what Dr. Gilman refers to as “illusory self-assessment.” Essentially, that means drivers are quick to notice the mistakes of others behind the wheel, while justifying their own driving errors, she said.

“People believe they have a special right to be wherever they need to be, faster than anyone else. They see other drivers as obstacles or inconveniences, not as fellow human beings trying to get somewhere,” she added. “ When things don’t go their way they take it as a personal attack. It’s like a personal VIP lane in their mind, but on a public road.”

A recent survey by Pollara found that nearly 90 percent of drivers are regularly annoyed or angered by others’ habits on the road.

Blowing through stop signs or red lights is the top source of driving-fuelled anger in the country, making 89 percent of Canadians angry or annoyed while 84 percent are angered by tailgaters and drivers who cut them off or don’t signal properly.

Eighty-two percent of those polled expressed annoyance with drivers who speed up when they try to pass and 74 percent become frustrated by drivers who won’t let them merge.

Road Rage Incidents

The consequences of road rage can be severe, ranging from arrest to even death when a driver’s actions get out of hand, the report noted.

One such incident occurred April 27 when a 21-year-old man from Mississauga was killed during a six-vehicle collision in Innisfil, Ont.

Two vehicles were “road raging” on the highway when the 21-year-old driver crossed the centre median into the northbound lanes, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said in a social media post.

The driver crashed into a pickup truck travelling north, causing his car to roll. The driver died from his injuries, police said.

Another recent incident led to charges being laid against a 21-year-old man from Ajax, Ont. A male driver was arrested after he allegedly threatened another driver with a knife in a road rage incident in Scarborough, Toronto Police said in a June 18 press release.

A video, which was posted to platform X June 17, shows a vehicle pulling over and two men, one wielding a knife, leaping from the car to confront the man recording the video.

The man brandishing the knife appeared to take several swipes at the person and heated words were exchanged before the men returned to their vehicle and fled the scene.

No injuries were reported, but police said they are seeking information on the passenger of the suspect’s vehicle, who is also alleged to have threatened the victim.

Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique said 411 people were killed in collisions on OPP-patrolled roads in 2023— the first time fatalities have exceeded 400 since 2007.

“Tragically, the majority of these fatal collisions were caused by poor behaviours and actions of road users,” he said in a May 14 social media post. “OPP officers continue to hold dangerous road users accountable to help save lives. Please do your part by driving safely and responsibly.”