There are those who let things slide and those who retort with honks and headlights. But there are also many Italians - as many as one in four, 25% - who, when faced with a reckless maneuver by another motorist, who perhaps cuts the road or does not respect the right-of-way signs, routinely lose their temper, going so far as to rail from the cockpit with gestures and insults against the person responsible for the imprudence. This is what emerges from the latest research by Sara Assicurazioni Observatory, the official insurance company of ACI (Italy Automobile Club). With these premises, it is not surprising that for one in two Italians (48%) driving represents a stressful experience, and that the first cause is precisely the risky maneuvers of other drivers and road users (46%). The behavior considered by far the most dangerous is the use of smartphones while driving, which causes distraction and errors, (53%). But also causing compatriots to lose patience are reckless overtaking (38%), not respecting the safety distance by standing too close to the vehicle in front (31%), sudden maneuvers and hard braking (24%), and failure to use turn signals (19%). To improve road safety and reduce the risk of accidents, respondents emphasize the importance of more road safety education from a young age (37%) and strengthening enforcement (32%). More than one in five also emphasize the benefits of technology (21%). Specifically seen as useful are assistance systems (44%), braking control or speed regulation, cameras and sensors (31%), and driving style monitoring devices that incentivize virtuous behavior (27%). In contrast, only 11 percent are of the opinion that greater safety may come from driverless vehicles in the future. To avoid unpleasant unforeseen events, the survey finds that almost 1 in 2Italians (45%) adopt superstitious behaviors before embarking on a trip. There are, for example, those who avoid venturing to certain roads or places (12%), those who prefer not to hit the road at particular times or days (7%), and those who, when buying, avoid choosing a car of a given color (6%). On the other hand, the classic lucky charm seems to be the choice of 8% of compatriots. For greater security, 9 out of 10 (90%) consider it useful to expand auto policy guarantees beyond liability alone, appreciating in particular breakdown or claim assistance services (44%), the ability to customize coverage (37%), and the general sense of protection that comes from knowing one is protected (19%).
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