Road Rage and Its Avoidance

“He cut me off.” “She wouldn’t let me pass.” “Nobody gives me the finger.” “I would never had shot him if he hadn’t rear-ended me.” “He practically ran me off the road—what was I supposed to do?” These and many other frightening “reasons” came from those who were associated with incidents that had resulted in injury or death on our roadways, but what exactly is “road rage” or aggressive driving? Is it truly a national problem? Is it a phenomenon of congested urban areas, or is it happening elsewhere? Who were the typical aggressors? What was setting them off? What can be done to stop or simply just avoid the problem?
In order to understand the problem, we must know what it is. Aggressive driving or road rage is defined as an incident in which an angry or impatient motorist or passenger intentionally injures or kills another motorist, passenger, or pedestrian in response to a traffic dispute altercation or grievance. Oddly enough, this includes incidents when an angry or vengeful motorist intentionally drives his or her vehicle into a building or other structure or property. What goes through the minRAB of those who commit these senseless acts on our roadways? What leaRAB up to the final crime and what eventually triggers of these people?
The psychological process leading up to the final and the final triggering of the anger are all part of a somewhat long and complex process by which the committer of the act goes through and eventually commits the crime. As it turns out, aggressive driving is rarely the result of a single incident, such as a stolen parking space or being cut off by traffic by another driver. Rather, they seem to be the result of personal attitudes and the accumulation of stress in the motorist’s life. The so-called reasons for disputes mentioned earlier are actually triggers. In most human behavior, there is a stated and unstated, conscious and unconscious, motivation. The motivation for these traffic disputes is no exception. While the event that sparks the incident may be trivial, in every case there exists some reservoir of anger, hostility, or frustration that is released by the triggering incident. Road rage is also not confined to any specific area or types of roadways; it as common on inner-city streets as it is on nation highways. It is also not subject to anyone of a specific profile. Therefore, wherever one may venture in his or her vehicle, there is always the foreboding risk that any fellow motorist right behind you could snap at any moment and that you could be in his or her path of devastation (“Mental Disorder”).
By knowing what triggers aggressive diving, it is much easier to avoid highway showdowns with enraged motorists. The best kind of safety in this situation, as in most other of life’s dangers, is passive safety. Not triggering a potential road rage candidate is probably the best way to steer clear of the problem. A common practice of avoidance is to follow proper driving procedures. Actions such as changing lanes without signaling or “cutting off” other drivers, blocking the passing lane, and tailgating are common actions that set someone off the edge (“Mental Disorder”). In addition to plainly avoiding the latter two, if you do inadvertently cut someone off, apologize—immediately. A survey by Market Opinion Research International in February of 1996 found that being cut off was the #1 driving irritant among motorists (“MORI”). Other obvious, but equally important safety measures include avoiding Russian Roulette or giving people the finger or any other obscene gesture, using your horn sparingly, not allowing your door to strike another adjacently parked vehicle, not using your high beams to “punish” other drivers, not using a cellular phone that could result in a fender-bender with aggressive drivers, knowing how to quickly turn off anti-theft alarms (people have been shot for this and other offenses of the ear), and most importantly, avoiding eye contact (“Rage,” “Rage and Aggressive,” “What to Do”).
While it is important to maintain eye contact with other drivers to figure out what their driving intentions and actions are, it is even more important to keep impersonal with other, especially angry and aggressive, motorists. As a friend of mine put it, “…what may start as an impersonal encounter between two 1½ ton boxes on wheels can quickly become a personal duel between two angry individuals…” especially once eye contact is made. Give the “road warrior” plenty of room, or “berth” as they say in the shipping industry, but if he or she escalates the dispute, drive away and get out of the situation immediately. Irrational behavior on the part of the individual can be dangerous, so respond as one would to one who is mentally deranged or intoxicated. Back off and seek help, such as a police station or a roadway patrolman. Some states, including New Jersey, are implementing or have implemented a system where one dials #77 to report road rage (“Rage and Aggressive,” “What to Do”).
Besides trying to avoid “road ragers,” it is imperative to also take steps to avoid becoming one. Many steps can help one do this. Maintain a comfortable driving environment by listening to soothing music, practicing relaxation techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, and adjusting climate controls. One should also mentally prepare his- or herself beforehand for an inevitable confrontation with an enraged motorist so that one is less affronted and more capable with dealing with the situation. Management anger is especially important in these, as well as other, situations. Finally, putting oneself in the other driver’s shoes is a vital key when dealing with this. There may a good, legitimate reason why the other driver is acting the way he or she is, possible because he or she is a part of emergency personnel attempting to get to a dire situation elsewhere. In most cases however, there isn’t the faintest clue as to another driver’s action so let it go, play it down, and stay cool. It’s not your problem, but theirs (“Rage,” “What to Do”).
While public information about the dangers of road rage and educational tips on how to deal with are important, ultimate it will take strong law enforcement to further reduce this problem. One thing is certain, however, it will never be totally abolished, and as long as this holRAB true it is important for every motorist to take the necessary personal steps to avoid falling into this dark and evil world of road rage.