'Post Pandemic' - On the roads

[Franco Cozzo]

Thought this could be an interesting thing to talk about, not sure if this is isolated to just Melbourne but anyone else noticed how nuts people are behind the wheel these days? Seems to have kicked off 'post pandemic' with a **** tonne of road rage and various accidents happening on an increased scale.

I don't think I've ever seen the attitudes on the road this bad in my 12 years on the road, I'm not exactly known for abiding by all the road rules but I don't bring the intimidation or nasty attitude to other commuters as I go about my commute and I generally be courteous.

Tends to be by people in high vis clothing tailgating and driving like knobs, and I suspect a bit of the 'concreters breakfast' of 2x iced coffees and the glass BBQ, but they're not the only culprits.

I'm a regular on Sydney Rd, Campbellfield these days and some of the stuff you see is wild and its not just the typical northern suburbs drivers.

Driving in ‘angry goggles’

Researchers say reduced public transport use and greater car use may be causing drivers to feel traffic is worse and become more frustrated. Cost-of-living pressures may be harming mental health, remote workers are more glued to their phones and working while driving, or there may simply be more burnout.

Transport Accident Commission chief executive Tracey Slatter is aware community members and authorities are reporting an increase in poor driving, “and while we haven’t seen any empirical evidence of this, we are very concerned at the tragic increase in road deaths this year”.

Director of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc, Carly Dober, said as well as stress, anxiety or overwhelm possibly affecting people’s driving, many are still coming to terms with the pandemic and feeling “angrier”, which could be playing into it.

“Also, it could be modelled behaviour. There are reports of more aggressive driving and its one of those things that if we start noticing it, we can kind of conform; not necessarily endorsing it but starting to mirror what broader community members are doing,” she said.

The mood outside the car impacts how people perform in it, says Dr Amanda Stephens, senior research fellow at the Monash University Accident Research Centre. Some drivers depersonalise other people in cars, she says.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/v...19-p5edje.html

Have we got any people here who tend to walk or cycle? Have you noticed increased aggression from people on the roads directed towards you or is this isolated to Melbourne?