Lancaster and Preston named as two of the worst cities for road rage

The cities rank 4th in a list of the country’s most foul-tempered drivers, with 191 incidents of road rage logged in the last year.

The Road Rage Index was compiled by specialist car group Motorfinity, which sent Freedom of Information requests to police forces across the country.

Drivers in the cities also had 17 cases of dangerous driving and 107 cases of careless driving.

Cardiff topped the list, with 301 instances of drivers ranting at other road users in the city, followed by Leicester at 291.

A combined figure of 240 incidents puts Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton in third place.

Meanwhile, both Lancaster and Preston had 191 reports of road rage between them that attracted the attention of police, while Leeds had 108.

Police forces for Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, and Lancaster and Preston, were only able to provide the data when grouped with the other cities.

With 32m motorists vying for space on British roads, it’s little surprise that things get heated.

In fact, it’s claimed that more than half of the UK’s drivers admit to sometimes suffering from road rage whilst they’re driving.

Top 10 cities with the most road rage incidents in 2021:

Cardiff: 301 Leicester: 291 Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton (combined): 240 Lancaster and Preston (combined): 191 Leeds: 108 Sheffield: 79 Bradford: 68 Derby: 51 Swansea: 51 Hull: 49

As part of the research, Motorfinity also asked police forces for the number of counts of dangerous driving incidents, of which the city of Oxford came first with 480 counts, followed by 363 for Bradford.

Top five cities with the most dangerous driving incidents in 2021:

Oxford: 480 Bradford: 363 Leeds: 321 Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton (combined): 178 Newport: 121

Motorfinity CEO Daniel Briggs believes that although all the top 10 cities in the list are very busy urban areas, it doesn’t necessarily follow that more motorists means more anger.

He said: “The fact that the top few cities have so many more incidents than others suggests that drivers there may unknowingly copy each other’s bad behaviour. These results show that there are some clear hotspots when it comes to angry or impatient drivers.

“It’s never ideal to be on the receiving end of road rage, but it’s also pretty unpleasant to be a regularly angry driver. Motoring should be an enjoyable experience, or at least one that people don’t dread.

“Given that road rage is generally considered commonplace, it’s likely that someone experiencing it has also been on the receiving end of another driver’s anger at some point. So, it’s worth remembering that a car door probably doesn’t insulate your emotions as much as you first think.”

It has been previously said that more than half of the UK’s drivers admit to regularly being angry at other motorists while they’re driving.

Readers can see the full index, along with advice on how to deal with angry drivers and stay calm behind the wheel, at https://www.motorfinity.uk/blog/cities-with-most-foul-tempered-drivers/

Find out more about Motorfinity, which offers discounts on new vehicles to those working in emergency services, NHS, armed forces, defence and teaching, at https://www.motorfinity.uk/