Verbal aggression, male gender, and age between 18 and 30 correlate with how often accidents happen. A leading psychologist in the field of extreme psychology at a major Russian university, Dr. Dmitry Deulin, discussed these findings in an interview about driving behavior and road safety.
A serious traffic incident occurred on a stretch of the M11 highway, resulting in four fatalities, including a one-year-old child. Investigators cited potential mass crashes linked to speeding violations and risky driving maneuvers.
Traffic accident data show that dangerous maneuvers are a frequent cause of crashes. Expressions of anger can push a driver to break traffic rules. Socioemotional factors, such as verbal aggression, male gender, and the 18 to 30 year age range, are associated with higher accident frequency. On the road, aggressive actions can spread through crowds of drivers, a phenomenon known as mass psychotization, where imitation and contagion occur. Other drivers may unknowingly mirror and react to a single aggressive violator.
The psychologist also emphasized that media and social dynamics contribute to the spread of aggressive driving patterns.
Blockbuster films that celebrate fast cars and daring stunts can normalize risky driving. They can blur the instinct for self-preservation and create the impression that skilled driving lets a person navigate danger without risk to health and life. This mindset often translates into real-life behavior, influencing how younger generations approach driving in daily life.
Despite aggressive road conduct being less common among older drivers, aging can bring slower reaction times and heightened anxiety, which may lead to errors. Elderly drivers can also be incited by the aggressive driving styles they observe in others.
Earlier, a major crash on the M-11 corridor in the Novgorod region involved collisions among more than 50 trucks and cars, underscoring the scale and seriousness of such incidents.