Road rage
A new study suggests that road rage affects women more than men, and that females are far more likely to lose their cool behind the wheel.

A new study suggests that road rage affects women more than men, and that females are far more likely to lose their cool behind the wheel.

The researchers suggest that women have an instinctive 'early warning system' which dates back to our early female ancestors who had a sense of danger for threats.

But this finding contradicts previous studies, which shows that men are predominantly affected by road rage.

The study, by car manufacturer, Hyundai, involved 1,000 UK drivers, 450 of who were also tracked using a webcam.

Participants were 'sense tested' to see how sound, sight, smell, touch and taste provoke emotional responses while driving.

The results from the sense testing were fed into a specially-created software which gave each participant a unique 'Driving Emotion Test' score.

The results showed that on average, women are 12 per cent angrier than men when behind the wheel.

The researchers suggest that driving sparks an ancient defence instinct, dating back to our hunter-gatherer days.

These evolutionary traits kicked in during the test when women were undertaken, shouted or beeped at, had to deal with a back-seat driver, or were faced with a road user who didn't indicate.

Patrick Fagan, a behavioral psychologist from Goldsmiths University London who led the study, said: 'Psychologically, women score higher than men on emotional and verbal intelligence, and on the personality trait of neuroticism.

OTHER FINDINGS

Other key findings from the study include:

- The primary reasons people enjoy driving is the freedom it gives them, mobility and independence

- 29 per cent of men said they find it easier to have a conversation in the car. 14 per cent added that a chat actually makes them a better driver

- 54 per cent of Brits said the thing that made them really happy in the car was singing

- When the researchers looked at what makes us happy behind the wheel, 84 per cent of people said 'empty roads', 78 per cent said 'the countryside' and 69 per cent 'the seaside'

- Eight out of 10 people nearly always listen to something while driving with Meatloaf's Bat out of Hell and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody top of the driving charts