Aggressive Driving is a Major Cause of Traffic Accidents and Road Rage in Jordan

Abstract

Motor vehicle accidents are a major cause of death among Jordanians. Roughly 700 people died last year in car accidents out of a total population of five million people. Many factors contribute to this. Some involve planning, design, construction, operation, surface condition, and policing of the roadways. The most deadly factor is human error. This includes unawareness of traffic rules and roadway condition; lack of driving skills; poor judgment; failure to interact and adjust to prevailing roadway conditions; and most importantly, aggressive driving. Preliminary findings of a survey questionnaire conducted in this study show that improper engineering design, inadequate traffic control, lack of traffic management, and traffic congestion are the main factors leading to aggressive driving and road rage on Jordan roadways. The study includes 200 questionnaires. The main objective of this study is to identify aggressive driving behaviors in Jordan and underline their effect on traffic safety. In addition, the study attempts to increase drivers' awareness of their actions on the roadway and point out the consequences associated with these actions. Many drivers justify their aggressive driving as temporary retaliatory measures to counteract other aggressive drivers, and therefore, this leads to road rage and traffic chaos. Aggressive driving behaviors such as pushing a car off the roadway, deliberate obstruction of passing vehicles, pursuing a vehicle, excessive high speed, and tailgating are considered at the top of the list according to the study findings. Most drivers admit that driving 20 km/hr above speed limit causes danger to pedestrians but not to other vehicles.