Road Rage
Are you a road rager?
Research Questions
What causes road rage?
What are some of the effects of road rage?
What are early signs of road rage?
How can people deal with road rage when they have it?
- How can people react best to other road ragers?
Summary of Research
Road rage is an issue that needs to stop. The reason it needs to stop its that it causes serious anxiety for many drivers as well as causing fatalities and injuries. Over a seven year period, “218 murders and 12,610 injuries” were caused by road rage. Research also shows that “half the drivers who are on the receiving end of an aggressive behavior...admit to responding with aggressive behavior themselves”. When people engage in road rage behaviors, they tend to have and encourage judgmental, vengeful or retaliatory thoughts about other drivers, they take more risks, get angry quickly, and get in more accidents. The cause of these symptoms is hard to determine. According to my research, angry drivers are not always angry people. They are just angry about certain things (speeding, tailgating, getting cut off). Some psychologists have had success in helping those with road rage by helping them with breathing exercises. In general, experts suggest doing everything you can to reduce stress: preparing to drive by leaving early and calmly, listen to music or a book on tape, bringing water, and taking deep breaths. Additionally, they suggest avoiding engaging with road rage drivers: avoid eye contact, let them pass you, and never try to “teach them a lesson.” In other words, driving with rage is a huge issue caused by unrealistic expectations and poor stress management.
Sources
"What Causes Road Rage - SafeMotorist.com." 2013. 9 Apr. 2015 <http://www.safemotorist.com/articles/road_rage.aspx>
"Anger on the road - American Psychological Association." 2009. 9 Apr. 2015 <http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun05/anger.aspx>
"Road Rage: When Stress Hits the Highway - HealthDay." 2014. 9 Apr. 2015 <http://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/emotional-health-17/emotional-disorder-news-228/road-rage-when-stress-hits-the-highway-646042.html