'Angry Driver Onboard' - Avoid drivers with car stickers to stay calm on the road
Monday, 26 October 2009
Release date: 26 October 2009
If you want to avoid road rage steer clear of drivers with car stickers, according to research unearthed by online motor insurer swiftcover.com. Academics in the US claim that drivers with so-called 'territorial markings' such as stickers or ornaments hanging from their rear-view mirrors are more likely to be prone to anger behind the wheel.
swiftcover.com's own research found that thankfully only 3% of UK drivers display car stickers in their vehicles, although nearly 13% said they had an ornament hanging from their rear-view mirror - just over 2% admitted they had furry dice dangling in their windscreen.
In the US, researchers from Colorado State University found that drivers who displayed these 'territorial markings' in their vehicles were also more likely to behave territorially on the road. They defended their road space, acting more aggressively when driving and were subsequently more likely to get angry if they felt other drivers had invaded their territory.
swiftcover.com says UK motorists should take the findings of their US cousins with a pinch of salt. Tina Shortle, marketing director, explains: "We have found no evidence of increased claims involving cars with stickers and ornaments - but perhaps that's because our customers are keeping away from drivers with furry dice!" Research was carried out amongst 1,000 people in the UK
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For press enquiries please contact:
Joshua Van Raalte or Paul Beadle
Brazil (PR agency for swiftcover.com)
01865 556 000
swiftcover@agencybrazil.com
About Swiftcover:
Based in Cobham, Surrey and employing over 350 people, www.swiftcover.com started trading in June 2005 and was born out of a desire to revolutionise the general insurance market.
swiftcover.com offers car, travel and pet insurance online, and is Britain's only insurance company without call centres, which means that the cost savings can be passed directly onto the customer and premiums are kept low. In 2008 swiftcover.com featured as the cheapest insurance quote on the comparison website moneysupermarket.com more often than any other insurer.
This powerful operating model combined with successful marketing and competitive pricing has proven to be a tremendous success. In 2008 swiftcover.com achieved over half a million live policies and in May 2009 sold their one millionth policy. They are considered to be the fastest growing insurer in the UK.
In 2007, AXA UK acquired swiftcover.com. It is now a wholly owned subsidiary of AXA Insurance UK PLC which forms part of AXA Group.
About AXA:
AXA UK is a part of the AXA Group. AXA is a world leader in financial protection. AXA's operations are diverse with major operations in Western Europe, North America and the Asia/Pacific area. AXA employs 120,000 staff and tied agents and, as of June 30 2006, had €1,091 billion in assets under management. AXA reported total IFRS revenues of €72 billion and IFRS underlying earnings of €3,258 million for the full year 2005. Our previous company performance is not a guide to how we may perform in the future.
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