Road Rage a Short Study of Aggression

Road Rage

A Short Study of Aggression on the Road

New York City has recently been voted by the participants of a survey as the U.S. city with the angriest and most aggressive drivers, who "tailgate, speed, honk their horns, overreact and lose their tempers." As a recent visitor of the Big Apple, I can attest to having heard excessive honking and some hand gestures that are very inappropriate for discussion here, on the streets of the city. Whether it is called intermittent explosive disorder, aggressive driving or just plain frustration with traffic, road rage is real and it is dangerous. This paper will thus attempt to understand why most drivers experience aggression the road, and will also offer examples of aggressive driving and give advice as to how to prevent road rage from taking place in the hopes to mitigate the dangers accompanied by this reaction to road conditions. [1: Reuters. (2009). "New York is Tops in Road Rage." FOX Car Report. Retrieved April 18, 2011, . ] [2: Becourtney, L. (2011). "What is Road Rage?" Anger Management Groups. Retrieved April 18, 2011, < http://www.angermanagementgroups.com/WhatIsRoadRage.html>. ]

Most drivers experience some sort of aggression on the road at some point or another in their driving career. The causes for this kind of anger can be the result of different factors, such as congested traffic or a bad driver making others late for work, and the reactions can vary from minimal to very severe. Minimal reactions may include cursing inside one's car, which will last a few moments, after which the anger will dissipate. This paper will focus, however, on the more severe reactions to the various hurdles of the road.

Road rage does not have a standard definition. The Iowa Department of Transportation, for example, defines it as a "societal condition where motorists lose their temper in reaction to a traffic disturbance." The Department goes on to say that traffic situations are encountered daily by drivers, especially at rush hour times, which tend to be in the morning and afternoon where work related traffic engulfs the street, but may also vary depending upon a city's entertainment schedules. Unfortunately, harmful road rage can include aggressive driving, and this makes the phenomenon disturbingly dangerous. Aggressive driving means that a motorist is intentionally attempting to injure or kill another driver due to a traffic situation or dispute. These kinds of drivers' actions, especially those that involve their vehicles (swerving and making other threatening maneuvers), can endanger both themselves and those around them. [3: Unknown. (2011). "Road Rage." Iowa Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 18, 2011, . ] [4: Unknown. (2011). "Road Rage." Iowa Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 18, 2011, . ]

Aggressive drivers are provoked by various stimuli. Some are provoked by the actions of another driver and others, as mentioned above, are provoked by traffic congestions. However, the Iowa Department of Transportation mentions that perhaps the most important element is a driver's own mood behind the wheel. Others agree that mood and culture affects road rage by stating that aggression is not caused by traffic but rather by a cultural habit of responding when one feels threatened or feels like retaliating to someone's wrongful doing. Dr. Lyle Becourtney therefore explains that road rage in its simplest form "occurs when a driver reacts angrily to other drivers, cutting them off, tailgating, gesturing or waving a fist. At its worst, the angry driver may become more aggressive and try to kill or injure another driver." Dr. Becourtney further adds, "in all actuality, road rage is an expression of an underlying problem with a driver. That driver is not able to remain in control of themselves and their emotions. It is not the automobile or the other driver that brings out the aggressive nature. It is inside the person who, regardless of the setting fails to control his or her temper and simply explodes." The doctor also adds that road rage is common in everyone, but that those with these problems, be they 18 or 50, will experience it and these individuals must consult an anger management therapy before situations begin to spin out of control. [5: Becourtney, L. (2011). "What is Road Rage?" Anger Management Groups. Retrieved April 18, 2011, < http://www.angermanagementgroups.com/WhatIsRoadRage.html>. ] [6: Becourtney, L. (2011). "What is Road Rage?" Anger Management Groups. Retrieved April 18, 2011, < http://www.angermanagementgroups.com/WhatIsRoadRage.html>. ]

Many other articles show the negativities of one's actions while behind the wheel.