In 1950 Disney released a short film titled Motor Mania starring Goofy as the mild mannered Mr. Walker who goes through a "Jekyll and Hyde" transformation when he gets into his car.  He then becomes Mr. Wheeler, a psychopathic driver with obvious symptoms of what is known today as Road Rage.

  The concept existed as far back as the 50's, but the term itself is relatively young. Road Rage was first coined in late 1980's used to describe physical confrontations between motorists (according to US NEWS).  However, the phrase has been used colloquially to describe verbal exchanges, gestures, honking and other forms of aggressive driving. Along with the expansion of definition, the reported severity of the problem has increased exponentially. In 1988 there were only four articles that could be found with the phrase "Road Rage" on the Nexis search database. In 1995 this figure jumped to 279 and then to 1,887 last year. Of course this could be attributed to the fact that there is no clear definition to "Road Rage", but however we wish to define it, this is still a problem and it is also on the rise. According to a study done by the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, there was a national 60 percent increase in aggressive driving between 1990 and 1996. This is echoed by the National Highway Safety Administration in combination with the Mizell Report commissioned by AAA that between the dates of January 1, 1990 and August 31, 1996 more than 10,000 incidents of road rage were recorded. The Report also stated at least 218 men, women , and children were Killed while another 12,610 were injured, and these statistics seem to be on the rise.

• In 1950 Disney released a short film titled "Motor Mania"

(c) Disney

• The term "Road Rage" was first coined in late 1980's to describe physical confrontations between motorists

• (American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety) 60 percent increase nationally in aggressive driving between 1990 and 1996

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           Most drivers who have experienced gridlock, road construction delays, or other drivers displaying inconsiderate or dangerous driving behavior have felt angry because of these events.  Driving irritants that are part of a daily commuting routine can lead to chronic, low-level stress in even a well-adjusted driver.  Often the anger or frustration we feel towards our driving environment manifests in our own aggressive driving.  Although these situations can lead to dangerous driving conditions, they are not in and of themselves sufficient to qualify as “road rage”.

            Road rage is a result of an episode of explosive anger directed at another driver or their property.  Most drivers do not reach this point.  Anger, which displays as aggressive driving which then becomes road rage violence, follows the same path as other instances of impulsive rage.  An episode may seem to “come out of the blue” as an extreme response to a perceived injustice committed by another driver.  In reality, the potential for an explosion was simmering, waiting for a triggering event to allow an eruption of violence. Chronic low-level stress such as a daily frustrating commute, does produce higher blood pressure.1  Add to that the stress associated with other aspects of life, especially major life stressors, and a pre-disposition toward anger, and all that is needed for an accident or a violent incident is a triggering event to push an angry, explosive driver over the edge. 

            Aggressive driving behaviors can encompass anything from tailgating and speeding to using the car as a weapon or physically attacking someone following a traffic incident.  Road rage is the extreme of aggressive driving, characterized as the intent to cause harm to another’s property or person.  This difference is important to note, since most drivers have engaged in some form of aggressive driving, i.e. improper lane changes, speeding, etc., while relatively few drivers’ behavior has risen to the level of road rage.

            With circulating levels of cortisol already elevated before the driver enters the car, the increased stressors of driving further increase the levels.  A precipitating event such as a slow car in the fast lane can cause a cognitively impaired person to view this event as an assault on his/her forward movement.  The heart begins to race, the eyes widen, and focus is intense as the driver changes from commuter to attacker.  A verbal barrage directed at the vehicle ahead moves on to include obscene gestures and dangerously close driving.  The body of the aggressive driver has reached a dangerously high stress level.  To return the body to homeostasis “he” must experience a release.  The impaired thinking of this driver leads “him” to believe he has just one option, violence.

            Who is most likely to be a perpetrator of a violent road rage incident?  A white man, aged 17-35, with an aversion towards authority, a generally hostile attitude and harboring a negative perception of the world, is the most likely to commit a violent act of road rage.  Of course, not all young men with the afore mentioned characteristics commit violence and other people who do not possess the traits mentioned may commit violent acts.  However, several studies, over time, have consistently appraised gender, age, ethnicity, certain personality characteristics, and social status are contributors to motor vehicle accidents and road violence.2 

            The DSM IV, used by psychiatrists and psychologists to diagnose mental and personality disorders, has only one Axis I disorder that features anger – intermittent explosive disorder (IED). Fully 33% of those court recognized aggressive, dangerous drivers who were assessed by the SUNY- Albany program (studying aggressive driving), met the DSM IV criteria for IED, and over 80% met criteria for other disorders3. Aggressive drivers tend to be stressed in other aspects of their lives.  A person who has a hostile and negative outlook may have a predisposition for violent outbursts.  When the stress of everyday life, a major event such as losing a job, is coupled with this predisposition to angry outbursts, it may take a relatively minor trigger to set off the events that lead to road violence.

            The violent, aggressive driver is not lurking behind every stressed out person in bumper to bumper traffic.  Although all of us are capable of violence, most of us do not resort to using it as a means to alleviate anger or frustration.  Those prone to extreme driving behavior are likely to possess personality traits that lead them to behave aggressively in other situations as well.  These drivers tend to be immature and may have difficulty relating to authority.  Their outlook on life appears to be more negative than non-aggressive people, which is exacerbated by poor coping skills.  As with most areas in life, being aware of aggressive personal traits that may negatively impact one’s life, and finding ways to effectively cope with them, helps to minimize the possibility of an explosive incident.

Who is most likely to commit an act of Road Rage?

• A white male

• 17 – 35 years old

• With an aversion toward authority

What Leads to Road Rage?

• Chronic, daily low-level stress

• Major life stressor

• Predisposition to anger

• Generally hostile attitude

• Negative life perception

it's clipart, don't worry!

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-Biological

Driving itself is stressful, and road rage – the ultimate expression of stress behind the wheel - is characterized by the classic symptoms of stress. Cortisol levels rise, producing increased heart rate, sweaty palms, increased blood pressure, and a dry mouth. The entire sympathetic nervous system puts the body into a fight-or-flight mode.

 -Psychological

Nearly everyone admits to feeling anger directed at other drivers, but road rage is typically characterized by a driver actually taking action to express their anger while they are on the road. The driver may keep up a one-sided conversation about how stupid the other drivers in the vicinity are, or may express himself more directly via gestures or actually rolling down the window and yelling at other drivers. They might use their vehicle to express their anger. This could include actions like using the horn, or closing up the distance between themselves and the car ahead of them in order to prevent another driver from merging in. In extreme cases, drivers use their cars as weapons – physically ramming another vehicle or forcing another car off the road.

Strangely, some surveys have revealed that many drivers, who acknowledge that they drive in an aggressive – even dangerous – manner, do not see themselves as angry. Even when called to account for dangerous driving behavior, people will try to justify their actions. We all wonder, when it happens to us; “What it is about driving a car that makes us (and others) behave in ways we would never consider when we are not driving?

picture taken from Biological Psychology

picture taken from Biological Psychology

-Sociological

Several factors contribute to the phenomenon of road rage, which is no longer being characterized as “abnormal” behavior. Rather, aggressive driving is now thought to be mainstream – something most drivers do. Components of this emerging trend in driving include:

Stress is created by the simple act of getting on the road. Your car is very expensive. Getting even a small scratch or dent is costly to repair. Even though you may not consciously be thinking of it, you are on guard for the safety of your investment every time you take it on the road.

Getting from point “A” to point “B” is not as simple as it appears. As we drive, we must repeatedly interrupt our forward motion for intersections, stop signs, and other traffic ahead of us. Each time this happens, we become a little more anxious about our progress and a bit more irritated at every delay. In heavy traffic, these interruptions occur more frequently – often every few seconds. This tries the patience of even the most laid-back driver. The heart of this issue is control – when we get into our cars we must surrender a large amount of control in favor of obeying the laws aimed at reducing accidents and facilitating traffic flow for everyone.

When another driver does something that we perceive as invading the zone of safety around our car, we respond with righteous indignation. We don’t say to ourselves, “That guy who just cut me off must be in a big hurry and didn’t see me. I’ll slow down and give him more room.” Instead, we assume the worst – he’s an inconsiderate jerk. In this way, we give ourselves permission to respond in an aggressive manner – thus contributing to an escalating situation.

•  In our culture, competitiveness – especially when driving – is considered normal and even desirable. Our media treats us to exciting chase scenes in movies and even commercials for cars feature large sideways-sliding skids to demonstrate how “fun” their particular vehicle is to drive. We ignore the small print at the bottom of the screen that states “Professional driver on closed course.”

• Even though we try to ensure a certain level of skill by requiring young drivers to take driver’s education before getting a license, our system is unable to ensure that persons behind the wheel are able to exercise good judgment when driving – that they are emotionally mature. Many decisions are required when driving even a short distance; decisions that must often be made in a split second while evaluating several options. Add to this mix distractions like talking to other passengers, changing a CD, or having a cell phone conversation, and we have a sure recipe for increased insurance premiums.

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Methods:

--Flash cards

--Soft Music

--Leave to destination early

(c) Speed Racer Enterpirse

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