Goodyear
Study Finds That Aggressive Behaviour on the Road by One Driver Causes Ripple Effect as Others Behave in a Similar Fashion

DGAP-News: Goodyear / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

2015-12-09 / 08:05
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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BRUSSELS, BELGIUM and LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM --(Marketwired -
December 09, 2015) -  Winter weather, wet or icy roads, darkness
and holiday traffic -- there are enough stress factors drivers
will face during the upcoming holiday season. A study released
today by the London School of Economics and Political Science
(LSE) and tiremaker Goodyear has highlighted another stress
factor: the ripple effect caused by other drivers' behavior on
the road.

Aggressive or combative driving frustrates other drivers on the
road, who take it out on the next creating a chain of aggressive,
and unsafe driving situations. On the other hand, considerate
drivers have the opposite effect, helping to create safer and
less stressful road environment.

In the survey across nearly 9000 drivers from 15 European
countries, 87% of drivers agreed that another's considerate
driving can prompt them to be considerate to a different driver
later on during their journey. Fully 55% were prepared to admit
that when irritated or provoked on the road by one driver, they
may be more likely to take it out on a different driver later on.
A simple act of kindness or one of aggression can initiate a
chain of events creating an environment that is either
comfortable and safer or stressful and more dangerous for
drivers.

'Setting aside factors such as weather conditions or fatigue, the
drivers around us provide an important context to which we
respond as our journey unfolds,' stated Dr. Chris Tennant, of the
LSE who led the research project. 'When negotiating road space
with others, drivers frequently apply the logic of reciprocity.
However, since many interactions are fleeting, the reciprocity is
often indirect: our response is made to a different driver later
on our journey -- thus, the ripple effect on the road.'

Other drivers' behaviour can make anyone drive more dangerously
While other research in road safety has rightly drawn attention
to the challenge of identifying specific problem drivers who are
prone to dangerous behaviour, this research demonstrates the need
to recognise how other drivers' behaviour can make anyone drive
more dangerously -- even if they would not otherwise be
considered to be problem drivers.

'Road etiquette matters to drivers,' explained Tennant. Reviewing
video scenes of interactions on the road, the majority of
surveyed drivers all affirmed the importance of gestures of
thanks, with fewer than 10%, typically, denying the importance of
such acknowledgements. In interviews, drivers readily admit that
when one driver neglects to say thank you, they are more likely
to drive assertively in the next interaction. The study found a
whole range of behaviours likely to antagonise others, from
merging tactics at busy junctions to tailgating, and from poor
signalling to motorway lane discipline. Yet in interview, drivers
acknowledge that they perform these same behaviours themselves,
usually inadvertently, potentially initiating the ripple effect
of negative interactions.

'The road is rarely seen as a social setting, particularly one
wherein good manners should be used. In fact our road safety
research shows that many drivers can see other cars on the road
as anonymous machines, and not as vehicles containing another
human being,' added Olivier Rousseau, Goodyear Vice President
Consumer Tires, Europe, Middle East and Africa. 'We urge drivers
to remember what a strong effect their own behavior has on the
behavior of others. Our study suggests that aggressive and
combative driving behavior by one driver can initiate a chain of
reactions between other drivers and eventually cause a dangerous
situation or even an accident some time later while the
originator has already moved on. It is up to all of us to stop
this Ripple Effect on the road,' said Rousseau.

Many ways to be inconsiderate
'There are many ways to be inconsiderate on the road: bossing,
competing, shouting, gesticulating, intimidating and all of these
have the ability to escalate and intensify an inconsiderate and
potentially less safe driving culture. However, there are only a
few ways to be polite but those few ways are very powerful, such
as allowing others to progress in busy traffic, making eye
contact and visibly saying thank you when others let you
progress, apologising when you impede others -- all these oil the
wheels of a considerate driving culture from which we all benefit
reciprocally,' concludes Tennant.

Designed to analyse drivers' interactions with and their
attitudes towards other drivers, and their effect on risky
driving, the study was composed of a qualitative survey using
focus groups and driver interviews in the UK and Italy, as well
as of a quantitative online survey of nearly 9000 drivers in 15
countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Italy, the
Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Slovenia,
Spain, the UK and Austria).

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs
approximately 66,000 people and manufactures its products in 49
facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation
Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to
develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the
technology and performance standard for the industry.

About LSE

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is one
of the foremost social science universities in the world. LSE is
a specialist university with an international intake and a global
reach. Its research and teaching span the full breadth of the
social sciences, from economics, politics and law to sociology,
anthropology, accounting and finance. Founded in 1895, the School
has an outstanding reputation for academic excellence. 16 Nobel
Prize winners have been LSE staff or alumni. The School has a
cosmopolitan student body, with around 9,500 full time students
from 140 countries. LSE has a staff of over 3,000, with about 46
per cent drawn from countries outside the UK.

Notes for the editor:

/T/

--  An executive summary of the full report can be downloaded at
    www.goodyear.eu.
--  The full report is available on request.
--  Press release on collaboration between LSE and Goodyear:
    http://www.goodyear.eu/corporate_emea/news-
    press/newslisting.jsp?year=2015&month=6 
--  Press release on driving personalities:
    http://www.goodyear.eu/corporate_emea/news-press/articles/multiple-
    driving-personalities-clash-on-europe-s-roads_178422
--  For additional pictures, videos, visit the online newsroom:
    http://goodyear.newsmarket.com/

/T/



For more information, please contact:

Goodyear:
Jens Volmicke
Director Corporate Communications EMEA
jens_voelmicke@goodyear.com
+352 8199 2010

LSE:
Rehanna Neky
Marketing and Communications Manager
R.Neky@lse.ac.uk
+44 20 7852 3711

News Source: Marketwire


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2015-12-09 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
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     Language:    English        
     Company:     Goodyear       
   
   
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