Aggressive Driving

Tanya Davis

With sixty percent of U.S. Drivers admitting to some form of road rage, it is evident that we have an anger problem. Most often, people who “road rage” tailgate, flash their headlights, make rude gestures, or block other drivers on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic safety Administration (NHTSA) road rage involves “a criminal act of violence.” Aggressive driving, on the other hand, ranges from “tailgating to speeding to running red lights.” However, most Americans refer to all aggressive driving incidents as road rage.

When the Automobile Association conducted a survey back in 1995, they found that 54 percent of women admitted to driving aggressively, as compared with 64 percent of men; not a huge difference. Subsequent studies have arrived at approximately the same numbers.

Aggressive Driving behaviors consist of the following:

• Lane changing without a signal
• Running red lights on purpose
• Swearing and name-calling gestures
• Tailgating
• Fantasies of violence
• Excessive speeding
• Weaving through traffic
• Yelling at another motorist
• Physical assault
• Murder.

Some areas, like Tucson, Arizona and Indianapolis, Indiana, have created special enforcement and public information programs in order to address aggressive driving. However, road rage incidents continue to cause fear, a loss of civility, and shocking newspaper headlines almost daily.

What Causes "Road Rage"?

In some cases it appears that incidents of road rage are caused by simple misunderstandings between drivers. A driver may make a momentary error of judgment but the perception of another is that he is driving aggressively.

It is likely that the cause of the road rage extends beyond the immediate incident. An individual may have had a bad day at work or troubles at home. Often it may be difficult to tackle the cause of the frustration. It may therefore lie dormant, indeed the driver may not even identify feelings of frustration. However, failure to indicate or a poor maneuver by another driver may be enough to trigger a release of the pent-up frustration which is directed towards the offending driver. In addition, there are a number of factors that explain why driving, in particular, should cause this frustration to manifest. Studies of animal behavior have shown how rats and various primates can respond aggressively in response to overcrowding. It is reasonable to suggest that humans respond in a comparable manner.

Some psychologists have suggested that certain drivers are more susceptible to losing their tempers behind the wheel than others. The AA Foundation for Road Safety Research carried out a major study 1 designed to explore some of the lifestyle factors associated with drivers previously identified as "safe" or "unsafe" drivers. Although the AA Foundation study looked specifically at young male drivers, it should be remembered that our recent survey found few age or gender differences in the prevalence of road rage.

The AA Foundation study revealed that one of the main factors influencing driver behavior was mood. A greater number of unsafe drivers were affected by mood to a much larger extent than the safe drivers. It was suggested that this may be due to the fact that, for many of the unsafe drivers, the act of car driving is regarded as an expressive, rather than practical, activity. Being in a bad mood appears to have an adverse effect on driving behavior and this effect appears to be most pronounced among unsafe drivers.

The AA Foundation study also found that unsafe drivers were more likely to be affected by the actions of other road users. Unsafe drivers were more likely to get wound up about what they see as inappropriate or "stupid" actions of other road users. The bad moods of the driver were more likely to be exacerbated by other driver actions.
This evidence supports the view that some drivers are more likely to succumb to road rage. However, we should not conclude that this is a predisposition that cannot be altered. Drivers can adopt simple strategies that keep frustration, anger, and rage in check.