by Tanya Davis
Road Rage is a term that originated in the United States only ten or fifteen years ago. It refers to aggression by the driver of a vehicle; it may be expressed through the use of hand gestures, name calling, shouting out to other drivers, aggressive acts like driving toward other vehicles, or even physical assault. This article attempts to explain how road rage occurs and why drivers participate in it.
Environment
Some experts speculate that road rage can take place because of environmental factors:
- Increasing road congestion
- Unclear signals, like right-of-way signs, construction, or broken lights
- Traffic jams, where the angry drivers are not able to move away from one another
When these situations arise, tempers flare and quickly escalate, sometimes leading to physical attacks. Many of our roads were built years ago, when there were not as many vehicles on them. Now, municipalities are often unable to keep up with the increasing congestion.
Defense
Some drivers seem to become enraged as sort of a defensive reaction to an invasion of their personal space. This could be real, like when another driver cuts in front of them. An appropriately angry person might react by flashing his lights or laying on the horn. An unreasonable individual might scream, beat his fist on the steering wheel, or even get out of his vehicle to confront the driver.
Sometimes the defensive move is a reaction to a perceived slight, when in fact the other driver made an honest mistake. He or she might not have seen your vehicle, or might have misjudged the amount of space between cars. Tailgating is described often as a form of hostility, when it may simply be a habit of the other driver.
Drivers become defensive because it is human nature to be territorial. When someone invades our space, we view them as an adversary and prepare to fight. This causes tension, whicih we express via defensive maneuvers. In a sense, we are reverting to our caveman days and attempting to reestablish the boundaries between ourselves and the offender. This is not rational, but it is a common type of confrontation. Fortunately, most often we gesture or mutter under our breath, but the vehicles move away from one another.
Personality
In some cases, the defensive driver's personality comes into play. He wants to teach the other driver a lesson – asserting his dominance – and that is where trouble begins. Chasing or tailgating drivers is potentially fatal, and can have drastic consequences.
Many drivers claim that their natural response to stress is anger; therefore, when faced with frustrating occurrences like increased congestion, they may resort to road rage. The mood the driver is in prior to the traffic jam plays a large role; a bad day at work coupled with a traffic tie-up is enough to set him off. The American Automobile Association found that 90 percent of drivers have experienced some sort of road rage. This has led to 1200 or more deaths per year.
The Solution
Road rage is a complex, nationwide problem that requires more than one solution. People who find themselves getting angry should take steps to remain calm while driving:
- Know what triggers your anger, like stress, fatigue, and hunger, and avoid those.
- Play soft music rather than aggressive tunes while driving.
- If you are traveling a long distance, take breaks often.
- Do not assume that another driver has deliberately provoked you; instead, remember that we all make mistakes.
With awareness, education, and the cooperation of law enforcement, road rage can be controlled. Don't allow yourself to become a road rager; instead, become part of the solution.
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