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Road Rage During Commute? You’re Not Alone
Most Workers Report Road Rage
Are yelling, horn-honking and creative hand gestures a regular part of your commute? You’re not alone.
About 59 percent of workers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com admit to experiencing road rage while traveling to and from work, according to a press release.
One in 10 of those commuters who were surveyed said they usually or always experience road rage during their commute. The survey, completed in June 2006, included more than 2,200 workers nationwide.
Nearly 85 percent of workers say their primary means of traveling to and from work is driving. It’s no surprise that incidents of road rage climbed with the length of the commute, according to CareerBuilder. However, 30 percent of workers with commutes of less than five minutes still say they experience road rage on occasion. The same goes for 42 percent of workers with commutes of less than 10 minutes.
The survey results showed that women were slightly more apt to feel road rage than men: 60 percent of women reported road rage, compared to 57 percent of men.
“A frustrating commute can set a negative tone for the day, sometimes impacting productivity and employee or client relations,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. “One in five workers say they would take a job with a pay cut in exchange for a shorter distance between their home and their workplace. While a new job may be the answer for some, the key to a manageable commute is planning ahead and finding a way to relax.”
Haefner offered tips for what she called a calm and enjoyable commute:
1. Lose the lead foot: Lost tempers and traffic weaving are often signs of running late. Leave a few minutes early to give yourself extra time in case you come across heavy traffic, bad weather, train crossings and other morning disasters.
2. It’s nothing personal: Remember, the other drivers aren’t out to get you. People who hit the brakes without apparent reason, drive well below the speed limit, daydream, sit still while other cars are moving, etc. are usually just bad drivers.
3. Early to bed: Yawning drivers tend to get more agitated behind the wheel. Try to work in a good night’s sleep and healthy breakfast, so you can go to work feeling refreshed and ready to take on rush hour.
4. Easy listening: Seventy-two percent of workers say they listen to music to pass the time in transit. Soothing music or books on tape can help you to relax during bumper-to-bumper delays.
5. Breathe: The next time you want to emphatically inform a fellow commuter of how he/she drives, take a few deep breaths instead. It can help you keep centered and control stress levels.CareerBuilder conducted the office commute survey from June 6 to June 16, 2006. More than 2,200 workers were used in the study. These participants were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The company said results of this survey are statistically accurate to within plus or minus 2.08 percentage points (19 times out of 20).
Corra well understands why a driver can be overcome by road rage. After all, our business is located in Southern California, where the freeways–with its tail gaters, drive by shooters, bird flippers, phone yakkers, speeders in the right hand lane, slow pokes in the passing lane, and people having breakfast or putting on make up–can make almost anyone go out of his mind. In fact in Southern California, where awards shows proliferate, there may be one someday for Best Road Rage Demonstration in a Dramatic Situation.
All that aside, road rage can overwhelm good judgment, and that is the last thing any employer needs. That is why it is so important to run MVR checks on any of your driving candidates to see if in the past they have succumbed to the temptations of road rage. Violent outbursts, or worse violent actions can lead to costly liability concerns and some awfully bad publicity. What with everyone walking around with a video camera or a cell phone camera, there is nothing worse than having your company truck positioned clearly in the background of a violent action on the part of your driver.
Always check driving candidates MVR report as well as his criminal background check and perhaps even civil litigation issues. Considering that we had one client who recently had their truck impounded because their driver was picked up for outsanding warrants, background checks can save you a bundle, and a lot of trouble to boot.
So, as Corra says, check them out before you hire.
