Road rage is something that we increasingly hear about, and because of cell phone cameras and social media, we see more examples of it in action.
Road rage is a significant public health risk in the United States. When you’re sharing the road with aggressive drivers, it can put you at risk. If you’re someone who personally feels like you exhibit rageful behaviors behind the wheel, you’re putting yourself and others in danger. There may even be underlying issues driving your rage that you need to work to sort out.
What is Road Rage?
Road rage is a general term referring to aggressive behavior while driving that can ultimately contribute to accidents, injuries, and potentially death.
The following are some examples of road rage in action:
- Speeding up or slowing down without warning
- Dangerous lane changes
- Trying to pass another vehicle outside of a lane, such as on a shoulder or a sidewalk
- Failure to observe warnings on vehicles
- Failure to observe traffic signs or traffic control devices
- Speeding
- Racing other drivers
- Being negligent in the operation of a vehicle
- Following too closely
While we typically think of screaming at another driver or being personally aggressive as examples of road rage, it can actually encompass a number of driving behaviors.
Road Rage Statistics
The following are some eye-opening statistics about road rage, common car accident injuries and its prevalence and impact.
- An estimated 78% of drivers say they’ve committed at least one aggressive driving behavior in the past year, such as honking to show anger or annoyance, yelling, or tailgating
- The most common types of road rage, which are tailgating, yelling, and honking, are a factor in more than half of all deadly crashes
- Running late is one of the most common reasons given for aggressive driving.
- There are around 1800 injuries a year caused by road rage.
- Between 2006 and 2015, there was a 500% increase in deaths resulting from aggressive driving accidents.
Road Rage and Violent Crimes
Unfortunately, road rage can include violence and criminal behaviors. A driver doesn’t need to have a firearm to commit a violent crime—the car itself can be a deadly weapon.
According to psychologists, there are certain risk factors that can be associated with road rage. Being a male, having a high-stress life, displaced anger and environmental factors like traffic can also be associated with road rage. Studies have found that people who engage in road rage behaviors are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.
Differences Between Aggressive and Low-Anger Drivers
Researchers looked at the differences in people who self-identified as low-anger versus high-anger drivers and found five key ways they are different from one another. These differences include:
- Aggressive drivers are more likely to engage in aggressive thinking and hostility. They’re more likely to insult other people on the roadways or frequently say they can’t believe how others are driving. Rageful drivers are also more likely to turn to revenge.
- Road rage is associated with more risk-taking when driving. For example, high-anger drivers are more likely to go over the speed limit by 10 to 20 mph. They’re also more likely to enter intersections as lights are turning red and to switch lanes rapidly.
- High-anger drivers are more likely to do things such as yell at other drivers or honk out of anger, and these behaviors often continue throughout their daily lives and not just when they’re driving.
- In driving simulations, high-anger drivers were found to have twice as many accidents.
- When drivers have a short fuse, they have more traits like anger, impulsiveness, and anxiety.
What If You’re a High-Anger Driver?
If you notice any of the above in yourself, there are things you can do not just to be a better driver but have a better quality of life overall. You don’t want to be a dumb driver who should not be allowed on the road.
For example, a combination of cognitive therapies and relaxation techniques has been shown as effective in helping high-anger drivers.
In a set of studies, high-anger drivers attended eight therapy sessions. These sessions involved either relaxation or a combination of cognitive relaxation.
In the relaxation-only group, participants learned basic relaxation techniques like deep breathing. In the cognitive-relaxation therapy group, drivers learned relaxation techniques along with strategies to change their thinking. Both groups visualized frustrating driving scenarios while practicing skills to control their anger.
Researchers found both types of interventions helped with road rage, and follow-ups found that people had continued to keep their anger under control.
If you find that you’re a rageful driver, start thinking about strategies to reduce these hazardous behaviors.