Number of people killed in road rage incidents hits record high: Urgent warning after figures show at least two people a week die during rows on the road

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Shocking new figures show that 143 people were killed last year in the UK as a result of 'road rage' incidents.

A record number of people died in accidents that were triggered by aggressive driving.

The government figures show that last year there were 2,722 collisions where aggressive driving behaviour contributed which led to a total of 4,084 casualties.

Mister Auto's 2019 Driving Cities Index named and shamed the cities with the worst road rage (stock image) 

The 143 killed included 17 pedestrians, six cyclists, 34 motorcyclists, 79 people in cars and seven in lorries or other vehicles.

AA's Jack Cousens told The Sun: 'Remaining calm and in control is incredibly important to reduce these avoidable fatalities.'

The AA is calling for graduated licenses to prevent motorists under the age of 21 from carrying passengers of a similar age for six months after passing their test.

Also, the motoring organisation wants drivers aged under 21 to be given six penalty points for not wearing a seatbelt in the same period.

The RAC estimated that 19.2 million leisure trips by car will be made between Friday and Monday, spelling heavy traffic for drivers throughout the weekend

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A study by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart recently found that Gen Z and Millenials are most likely to lose their rag behind the wheel. 

More than half (63 per cent) of motorists aged 17 to 34 said they have sounded their horn to express anger at the behaviour of another road user in the past year - that compares to just 42 per cent for drivers over 70.

Of the 2,000 people surveyed, two thirds (66 per cent) said they are more concerned than last year about aggressive drivers.

Two if five (81 per cent) of the motorists polled said they have been tailgated - which is a contributory factor in one in eight collisions - in a 30mph road in the past 12 months. 

Three-quarters reported being tailgated on a motorway or dual carriageway, with men more likely to fall victim than women.

According to the research, traffic is a hugely aggravating factor in road rage incidents, with almost a third (31 per cent) admitting to beeping their horn to get the driver in front to hurry up in a jam. 

Nicholas Lyes, IAM RoadSmart policy and standards director, said: 'We’ve all got to share the road and keep in mind that aggressive tactics like tailgating someone will not to save you any time, but it will make it more likely you’ll have a collision. 

'Drivers need to be aware that sometimes there are things out of their control. The best way to avoid stressful journeys is to plan your route before you leave and allow yourself plenty of time to reach your destination.'

A recent poll by IAM RoadSmart found that Millennials and Gen Z drivers are the most likely to suffer road rage - and it's traffic that gets motorists' blood boiling most

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Scientists from the University of Warwick also identified some of the most common behaviours of aggressive drivers.

In the past, studies have shown that road rage affects women more than men and that females are far more likely to lose their cool behind the wheel.

The researchers suggested that women have an instinctive 'early warning system' which dates back to our early female ancestors who had a sense of danger from threats.

Another study found that the worst motorists drive on Tuesdays in September, between six and nine in the morning.

For their study, published in Accident Analysis and Prevention, the researchers analysed the results of 34 published studies on road rage.

They defined a driver as aggressive when they conducted behaviours that intentionally endangered others, either psychologically, physically or both.

Aggressive drivers have a 3.3mph (5.3kph) mean faster speed than non-aggressive drivers and they also exhibit 2.5 times more mistakes.

Errors included not indicating when changing lanes, collisions, violation of stop signs and exceeding speed limits.

The researchers say that drivers may speed up as a way of eliminating their frustration when encountering, for example, traffic or a slow driver.

The anger they feel or express, like through shouting, may also serve as a distraction from driving and lead to more errors.