TRUE or FALSE? Women Drivers Are Angrier On The Road Than Men – Study

In a new study conducted by Hyundai Motors UK, women have been found to be a bit more aggressive on the road than men

Contrary to what many may believe about road rage, women have been found to be angrier than men on the road. According to a study done by Hyundai Motors UK, women are on average 12% angrier than men when they are driving.

The study analysed 1 000 drivers from the UK and looked at how factors such sound, smell, touch, taste and sight evoked emotional responses in the participants who were put in different driving settings.

“Psychologically women score higher than men on emotional and verbal intelligence, and on the personality trait of neuroticism. Evolutionary theory suggests our early female ancestors had to develop an acute sense of danger for anything that threatened them and their young if their cave was undefended while men were out hunting,” said Patrick Fagan, one of the researchers for the study and behavioural psychologist from Goldsmith University in London.

“That ‘early warning system’ instinct is still relevant today, and women drivers tend to be more sensitive to negative stimuli, so get angry and frustrated quicker,” he went on to say.

Researchers looked at how the participants responded when they were either undertaken, hooted at or shouted at. Their responses to back-seat drivers and to drivers who didn’t indicate were also observed. In every single test scenario, women were reported to “consistently” respond with greater levels of anger than male drivers.

“We are constantly striving to better understand what impacts people’s behaviour when they are driving and this research has certainly revealed some interesting and somewhat surprising results. By examining drivers’ emotions, our aim is to hep them get a better drive both today and in the future,” said Tony Whitehorn, the President and CEO of Hyundai Motors UK.

The study also found some interesting facts about what the driving experience can do. One of the findings suggests that if you want a man to open up, take him for a drive as men find it easier to have a conversation in the car.

Other findings include:

54% of the respondents said that singing in the car made them happy
84% of respondents said that “empty roads” made them happy when driving

Source: DestinyMan