New research commissioned by dashcam brand Nextbase suggests Australian roads are becoming significantly more hostile in the run-up to Christmas. Almost four out of five drivers said they had seen or experienced violence on the roads.
The nationally representative survey of 1,005 adults, conducted in November 2025, asked Australians about their experiences of road rage and driving over the Christmas period.
When asked “Have you ever seen or experienced violence in traffic?” 78 percent answered “yes”, 20 percent answered “no” and 2 percent were unsure.
The holiday season seems to make things even worse. Almost half of those surveyed, 48 percent, said they find driving during the holiday season more stressful than at other times of the year. Around 35 percent said it felt about the same, while 16 percent found it less stressful. Only 1 percent were unsure.
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When asked when the streets feel most hostile or aggressive during the holidays, 23 percent of respondents pointed to the week before Christmas. A further 23 per cent said the streets felt hostile throughout the Christmas period.
About 11 percent said school holidays, 8 percent said Christmas Eve or Christmas Day and 4 percent said New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. 18 percent said they did not notice increased hostility and 8 percent were unsure.
The survey also asked drivers how they would most likely react if another driver did something to frustrate them during a stressful holiday trip. Swearing quietly and staying calm were the most common answers, each chosen by 41 percent of those surveyed.
About 21 percent said they would honk at the other driver, 19 percent said they would make a hand gesture, 8 percent said they would yell and 2 percent said they would get out of the car to confront the other person. Respondents could choose more than one option.
The most important findings from this question are summarized below.
| Likely reaction when frustrated during a celebratory trip | Proportion of respondents |
|---|---|
| I swear quietly | 41 percent |
| Do nothing and stay calm | 41 percent |
| Honk the other driver’s horn | 21 percent |
| Make a hand gesture | 19 percent |
| Yell at the other driver | 8 percent |
| Get out of the car to confront them | 2 percent |
| Other | 1 percent |
For those who had seen or experienced road violence (787 respondents), the emotional impact was significant.
Nearly a quarter, 23 percent, said the incident made them angry. Nineteen percent said they were intimidated, 16 percent said they were upset and 14 percent said they were worried. The rest were either afraid to continue the journey or felt isolated. Twelve percent were unsure how they felt.
Taken together, about half of those affected said they felt worried, isolated, intimidated or too scared to drive, rather than just angry.
| How they felt after a tantrum in traffic* | Share of respondents* |
|---|---|
| Angry | 23 percent |
| Intimidated | 19 percent |
| Annoy | 16 percent |
| Worried | 14 percent |
| I was afraid to continue my journey | 11 percent |
| Unsure | 12 percent |
| fear | 3 percent |
| Isolated | 2 percent |
*Among those surveyed who observed or experienced violence in traffic
Nextbase’s findings are in line with a number of recent surveys that suggest road rage is deeply embedded in Australian driving culture.
A 2024 analysis by comparison site Finder, based on a survey of 1056 people, found that around three in four Australians say they have experienced some form of road rage, with tailgating and aggressive use of the horn among the most common behaviors, and a small but significant minority said they had actually been injured by another driver.
Scientific work paints a similar picture. A UNSW Sydney article, based on NRMA research published in 2024, noted that many motorists in NSW and the ACT had observed behaviors such as tailgating, repeated honking, angry gestures, deliberate interference and even drivers exiting their vehicles to confront others.
