Has anyone experienced ROAD-RAGE...? Why are people so angry?

Question

Are we really as stressed as everyone seems these days?

Answer 1

Reasons Violent Traffic Disputes Occur

Motorists involved in fender-bender collisions and silly traffic disputes are increasingly being shot, stabbed, beaten, and run over for inane reasons.

A 23-year-old Indiana University student hacked a university maintenance worker with a hatchet after the two argued about the student's car being parked in a service drive. Other cases stem from equally trivial apparent causes. In one case a man was shot and killed "because he was driving too slowly." In another case a woman was shot because "the ***** hit my new Camaro." In still another case a small child was seriously wounded because her father "cut me off."

Mizell & Company analyzed the "reasons" given for violent disputes and collected the following list. Each of the reasons listed is associated with at least 25 incidents that resulted in death or injury:

"It was an argument over a parking space..."

"He cut me off"

"She wouldn't let me pass"

A driver was shot to death "because he hit my car"

"Nobody gives me the finger..."

A shooting occurred "because one motorist was playing the radio too loud."

"The bastard kept honking and honking his horn..."

"He/she was driving too slowly"

"He wouldn't turn off his high beams"

"They kept tailgating me..."

A driver was chased down and shot to death after fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run following a minor collision

A fatal crash occurred because another driver kept "braking and accelerating, braking and speeding up."

"She kept crossing lanes without signaling -- maybe I overreacted but it taught her a lesson."

"I never would have shot him if he hadn't rear-ended me"

"Every time the light turned green he just sat there -- I sat through three different green lights."

A fatal dispute erupted over which car had the right of way.

A driver accused of murder said "He couldn't care less about the rest of us -- he just kept blocking traffic."

A driver charged with attempted murder said, "He practically ran me off the road -- what was I supposed to do?"

And a teenager charged with murdering a passenger in another vehicle said simply, "We was dissed."

There are many other stated reasons for violent traffic disputes. In one case, for example, a man was attacked because he couldn't turn off the anti-theft alarm on his rented jeep.

Dozens of violent aggressive driving incidents have occurred because the occupants of one vehicle "dissed" or disrespected the occupants of a second vehicle.

The so-called "reasons" for disputes are actually triggers. In most human behavior there is a stated and unstated, or conscious and unconscious, motivation. The motivation for 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.

Weapons Used by Aggressive Drivers

In approximately 4,400 of the 10,037 known aggressive driving incidents, the perpetrator used a firearm, knife, club, fist, feet or other standard weapon for the attack. In approximately 2,300 cases the aggressive driver used an even more powerful weapon -- his or her own vehicle. And in approximately 1,250 cases the aggressive driver used his or her own vehicle and a standard weapon like a gun, knife, or club. No information was available for 1,087 of the cases reviewed.

Without question the most popular weapons used by aggressive drivers are firearms and motor vehicles. In 37 percent of the cases a firearm was used; in 35 percent the weapon was the vehicle itself.

Other weapons used by aggressive drivers have included the following, in order of their frequency:

¥ Fists and feet: In hundreds of cases hostile drivers have used their fists and feet to express their displeasure with other motorists.

¥ Tire irons and jack handles are frequently used as weapons, probably because they are readily accessible in most vehicles.

¥ Baseball bats: Mizell and Company recorded over 160 cases in which baseball bats were used to settle traffic disputes. There are, of course, thousands of cases in which baseball bats have been used as weapons in other situations, such as gang fights or street

robberies.

¥ Knives used include bayonets, ice picks, razor blades, and swords. A knife is used criminally and violently almost every day by an angry motorist.

¥ Hurled projectiles: In at least 313 cases in the sample angry motorists hurled beer and liquor bottles, the most popular of hurled missiles, or rocks, coins, soda cans, and garbage. Aggressive drivers have also thrown a wide range of partially eaten foods, including burritos and hamburgers.

¥ Other clubs: Angry and impatient motorists have used a wide range of weapons to bludgeon one another. These "other clubs" include crowbars, lead pipes, batons, 4x4 timbers, canes (a favorite with the elderly and the disabled), tree limbs, wrenches, hatchets, and, in six cases, golf clubs.

¥ Defensive sprays: As more and more people are carrying defensive sprays, such as Mace and pepper spray, there are an increasing number of cases in which these items are used in traffic disputes. In most "aggressive driving" cases, however, sprays have been used to attack rather than defend.

¥ Miscellaneous, such as eggs and water pistols: At least five shootings occurred when mischievous teenagers pelted motorists with eggs or snowballs. A teenager in Florida was shot to death after squirting a passing car with a water pistol. In Washington state, two teenaged boys were killed by a gunman in another vehicle after they threw eggs at his vehicle.

Aggressive drivers have been very creative in their choice of weapons. For example, after an argument in a parking lot, one motorist was speared in the head and killed when a paint roller rod was thrown through his windshield.

The Role of Domestic Violence

Domestic violence plays a surprisingly large role in aggressive driving. When the flames of passion burn out, when love turns to hate, spouses and lovers are increasingly venting their rage on the highway. From January 1, 1990 to September 1, 1996, at least 322 incidents of domestic violence were played out on roads and Interstates throughout the country.

For example, in 1994 in Michigan, Jorge Chansuolme, 28, was charged with killing his estranged wife, Ruth Chansuolme, 28, and a male companion. Witnesses reported that Chansuolme rammed the companion's car after a high-speed chase. Similarly, in 1995 in Massachusetts, Anita Caraballo and her three-year-old daughter were injured when the car in which they were riding was rammed by Caraballo's former boyfriend. Caraballo's new boyfriend was driving the target vehicle.

The Role of Hate and Racism

An average of 38 violent traffic incidents each year are the result of racism and hate. These incidents are perpetrated by the full spectrum of humanity -- whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, and others.

However, most violent traffic incidents that are labeled "racist" actually start out as an accident or near accident, a disagreement over right of way, a dispute about a parking space, or other confrontation that is not, at first, racially related. As tempers flare, racial insults are exchanged and the "traffic dispute" suddenly becomes "racial" in nature.

True hate-related disputes are perpetrated by groups (usually) of males (usually) who are clearly bigoted and clearly looking for trouble. In addition to racial groups, these incidents are perpetrated by members of a wide range of religious organizations.

It should be noted, however, that hundreds of traffic disputes involving interracial conflict have had nothing to do with hate or racism. Like other violent traffic disputes, these incidents are simply arguments between two motorists who overreact to being cut off, being impatient with a traffic jam, or are stunned by a near-accident. Only 16 of the traffic disputes in the study were hate-based from the beginning.

Two incidents typify racially motivated disputes:

On January 17, 1996, in Taylors, South Carolina, Danny Greer, 34, a black man, was riding in a van with his wife Mechelle, who is white. They noticed that two white male motorists in a pickup truck appeared to be following them. The two white males repeatedly pulled alongside Greer's van and conspicuously stared at the couple.

When Mrs. Greer, who was driving, sped up, the pickup truck stayed with them. Mrs. Greer slowed down, hoping the men would pass, but they stayed with the van. When Mrs. Greer pulled into a parking lot, thinking the men would drive by, the truck followed and blocked their exit.

At that point Mr. Greer got out of the van and asked the men, "What's your problem?" Mrs Greer reports hearing three shots and seeing the truck pull away. Mr. Greer fell to the pavement and died.

In another racially motivated incident, in Springfield, Tennessee, two black teenagers were sentenced to life in prison for murdering a white man who had displayed a Confederate flag on his pickup truck. According to testimony, on January 14, 1995, the two black teenagers were cruising the highway when they spotted Michael Westerman, 19, and his wife Hannah, 21. Angered by the Confederate flag, the teenagers rounded up two other cars and followed Mr. Westerman and his wife. Boxing Westerman's vehicle in with one car, the youths pulled along side and shot Mr. Westerman to death. The two teenagers were found guilty of murder, civil rights intimidation, and attempted aggravated kidnapping. Other members of the group are awaiting trial.

Motorists who Crash into Buildings and Other Property

Using their vehicles as weapons, aggressive drivers frequently vent their anger by crashing through offices, private homes, restaurants, hotels, government buildings, hospitals schools, and other properties.

During the period studied, at least 94 men and women used their vehicles as battering rams and crashed through a variety of buildings and other properties. (This number does not include the relatively new phenomenon of "crash and rob," whereby criminals crash their vehicles into stores to steal merchandise.) Some of these drivers are angry at the management that owns the building. Some are angry at someone inside the building. And some motorists, struggling with their own inner demons, are just angry at the world.

Although this problem is often ignored, it is an ever-growing and extremely dangerous aspect of aggressive driving. For example, in 1990 in California, a 22-year-old man, angry because a clerk would not sell him beer, purposely drove his car into a gas pump at a convenience store. The crash caused all eight pumps to explode, destroyed the gas station portion of the business, and caused $500,000 in damage. In 1993 in Pennsylvania, a psychiatric patient crashed his station wagon through the gates and a chain link fence at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant before striking a parked truck near the turbine building. In 1994 in Washington, D.C., a 23-year-old man drove a stolen car through the lobby doors of WTTG-TV in an effort to attract attention to a mysterious new AIDS drug.

Aggressive Drivers and Crowds

In at least 22 cases since 1990, aggressive drivers have intentionally plowed their vehicles into crowds of people. Motor vehicles are extremely powerful weapons; when a car or truck is aimed at a crowd of people the result could easily be dozens of dead and injured.

If a person is enraged, irrational, and impulsive enough to kill one person, he or she may also be irrational, impulsive, and crazy enough to kill many people, depending on the circumstances.

For example, in 1991 in California seven people were seriously injured in a nightclub parking lot when a 26-year-old man drove his Mercedes-Benz into a crowd. The crowd was blocking the exit to the lot and the driver grew impatient waiting for an opening.

Similarly, in 1993 in Alabama a 24-year-old truck driver aimed his tractor-trailer into a crowd of picketing steel workers and killed two men before fleeing the scene.

In 1995 in California a woman in a pickup truck plowed through a fence onto a daycare center playground, killing an 18-month-old boy and injuring 10 other children. Witnesses reported that the truck had been "drag racing" and "doing doughnuts" in the adjacent street prior to the incident; the woman claimed that she swerved to avoid a speeding car.

Finally, in an all-too-typical incident, in 1996 in Massachusetts Anthony Brooks was charged with attempted murder and other counts after he drove his car into a crowd of New Year's celebrants, injuring 21 people. Police said that Brooks's actions were due to his impatience and anger.

Vehicles Used to Attack Police

From January 1, 1990 and August 27, 1996, the researchers recorded 221 cases in which motorists intentionally used vehicles to attack law enforcement personnel or police vehicles. These cases were reported from all 50 states.

The number of cases reported to Mizell and Company have increased every year except 1992; it is suspected that the decrease in cases during 1992 has more to do with sporadic reporting than with an actual reduction in incidents. Police officials consulted agreed with this assessment.

The breakdown is as follows: Year Incidents
1990 22
1991 26
1992 19
1993 34
1994 39
1995 45
1996 36*
TOTAL 221


*from January 1 to August 27, 1996

At least 48 police officers were killed or injured as a result of these incidents. Responding to vehicular attacks by aggressive drivers, police were forced to fire their weapons and wound or kill at least 38 drivers and passengers involved in the 221 reported cases. Additional drivers and passengers were injured or killed when their vehicles became involved in accidents while trying to evade police. Thirty-one of the 221 cases are known to have involved a stolen vehicle. Twenty-nine of the cases involved drugs. Finally, nearly all of the 221 cases involved drivers or passengers who were suspected of some criminal violation. This is the type of incident most likely to involve a female perpetrator; 14 percent of the assailants were female in this category. Motorists who are stopped by the police are the most likely to become aggressive. In many cases they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and as noted above the police have usually stopped them because they were breaking the law or behaving suspiciously.

For example, on March 24, 1993, in North Vernon, Indiana, motorist Jonathon Warnell, 30, intentionally drove his vehicle into a police squad car and killed Patrolman Anthony Burton, 29, and Reserve Officer Lonnie Howard, 22. The officers were parked at a church watching for Mr. Warnell when the incident occurred. Warnell, who was free on bond after an armed standoff with police, was also suspected of threatening someone with a knife. A week before murdering the two police officers with his vehicle, Warnell had driven his car into a building where his estranged girlfriend worked and fired a rifle into the air.

On May 2, 1993, Cristian Omar Gomez, 22, was charged with driving while intoxicated and assault on a police officer after a stint of reckless driving early Sunday morning. Police were called to the scene by a witness who saw Gomez driving down the wrong side of the road. Officer Kathy Steigerwald spotted Gomez in a Safeway parking lot and turned on her lights and siren. Gomez rammed into her car and then fled the parking lot. His car stopped when he crossed the median and hit a tree. Surprisingly, neither Gomez nor Steigerwald was injured.

Female Perpetrators

Of the 10,037 aggressive driving incidents reviewed for this study, only 413 involved females as perpetrators. In 528 cases the sex of the perpetrator was not known. (There are a number of reasons for this. For privacy purposes some police departments and insurance companies scratch out the names before releasing a report of the incident. Also, some reports refer to the perpetrators and victims only as "Subjects." Finally, in many cases it is difficult to determine from the name whether the perpetrator is male or female.)

Like men, women who engage in aggressive driving have used firearms, knives, baseball bats, defensive sprays, and fists to settle arguments. But the weapon of choice for most women who react aggressively to traffic disputes and traffic stops is the automobile.

For example, angry that a van was blocking traffic, a female motorist in Seattle, Washington, drove her car on to a sidewalk and killed a woman who was talking with the van's driver.

Of the 413 incidents in which females were the perpetrators, women used their vehicles as the weapon in 285 cases. In 31 cases female drivers used a vehicle to attack police officers. In these cases, the police officer was usually trying to issue a traffic citation or to arrest the female driver.

Children as Victims

The victims of irrational highway violence are frequently not the intended targets but innocent passengers and pedestrians. Children, the most innocent of bystanders, are frequently the victims of aggressive driving.

From January 1, 1990 to September 1, 1996 at least 94 children under the age of 15 were injured or killed in aggressive driving incidents. Some were wounded or killed by gunfire; others were injured or killed when aggressive drivers, frequently a relative, rammed or forced a vehicle off the road.

In 1993 in Illinois, seven-year-old Michael Montoya was shot to death while playing in his front yard. Angry that a van was blocking traffic 50 yards from Michael's house, a motorist fired at the van driver. The bullet missed the driver and hit the child.

In a case too recent to be included in this study, three-year-old Brenna Finck was critically injured on November 20, 1996, when her father engaged in a driving duel on Interstate 395 south of Washington, D.C. Robert Finck, 37, was driving toward the city with his wife Sandra and their daughter at 7 a.m. when Fred Hamilton, 20, cut him off. The incident sparked a dispute, with the two drivers racing after each other and gesturing angrily. When the two vehicles collided, Finck's Ford Explorer hit a third car and flipped over several times. Brenna, although in a safety seat, was thrown partially out of the car. Finck, his wife, and a passenger in the third car were also injured in the crash.

Vehicles of Mass Destruction

Bulldozers, Tanks, and Tractor-Trailers

It's bad enough when an aggressive driver gets behind the wheel of a car or a pickup truck. But when a "crazy" climbs aboard a bulldozer, tank, or tractor-trailer, the potential for death and destruction increases dramatically.

There exist at least 103 cases in the United States -- and hundreds more internationally -- in which a unique vehicle such as a bus, bulldozer, tractor-trailer, military tank, tow truck, or forklift was intentionally used to cause death and destruction.

In a most spectacular example, Shawn Timothy Nelson, 35, a divorced, alcoholic, drug-taking plumber, had been watching his life crumble around him. He lost his job, his girlfriend left him, he broke his neck in an accident, and he had recently been evicted from his house. So what the heck: He stole a 57-ton U.S. Military M-60 tank.

On May 17, 1995, in San Diego, Nelson entered a National Guard Armory, started up the heavily armed tank, and headed out for the highway. Barreling through six miles of residential roads and with 20 police cruisers trailing helplessly behind, Nelson mashed 20 cars, flattened vans, knocked over telephone poles, and squashed a telephone booth and a bus bench. The power lines that were knocked down left 5,000 homes without electricity

Fortunately the tank's weapons -- a 105 mm cannon, 7.62 mm machine gun, and a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft gun -- were not loaded.

Leaving behind a trail of destroyed vehicles, spouting hydrants, sideswiped bridges, and nail-biting insurance agents, Nelson's rampage finally came to a halt when his tank became immobilized astride a concrete highway divider. At that point, four police officers leaped onto the tank, opened the hatch with bolt cutters, and shot Nelson to death.

Advice for Motorists

Motorists who might respond to provocation from an aggressive driver should think about the four realities of the threat:

¥ At least 1,500 men, women, and children are seriously injured or killed each year in the United States as a result of senseless traffic disputes and altercations. The incidents reported in this study are only those caught by the reporting network of Mizell & Company. Beyond question there are many more that are not reported in the media or for which the traffic altercation aspect is not mentioned.

¥ There are thousands of mentally and emotionally disturbed individuals on the highway. Charged with anger, fear, and personal frustration, and often impaired by alcohol or other drugs, motorists in all 50 states have murdered and maimed other motorists for seemingly trivial reasons. Explanations such as "He stole my parking space," "She kept honking her horn," "He wouldn't let me pass," and "She gave me the finger" abound in published reports.

¥ Without exaggeration, millions of motorists are armed with firearms, knives, clubs, and other weapons. There are more than 200 million firearms in circulation in the United States, and many motorists are carrying guns. It is also important to remember that every driver on the highway is armed with a weapon more deadly and dangerous than any firearm: a motor vehicle.

¥ Anyone can become an aggressive driver! People who have maimed and murdered motorists during traffic disputes have been old and young, males and females, rich and poor, well dressed and poorly dressed. They have been white, black, Asian, and Hispanic. Do not underestimate the potential for violence in any driver.

Motorists would be well advised to keep their cool in traffic, to be patient and courteous to other drivers, and to correct unsafe driving habits that are likely to endanger, infuriate, or antagonize other motorists. Be aware of the behaviors that have resulted in violence in the past:

¥ Lane blocking. Don't block the passing lane. Stay out of the far left lane and yield to the right for any vehicle that wants to overtake you. If someone demands to pass, allow them to do so.

¥ Tailgating. Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you. Dozens of deadly traffic altercations began when one driver tailgated another.

¥ Signal use. Don't switch lanes without first signaling your intention, and make sure you don't cut someone off when you move over. After you've made the maneuver, turn your signal off.

¥ Gestures. You are playing Russian roulette if you raise a middle finger to another driver. Obscene gestures have gotten people shot, stabbed, or beaten in every state.

¥ Horn use. Use your horn sparingly. If you must get someone's attention in a non-emergency situation, tap your horn lightly. Think twice before using your horn to say "hello" to a passing pedestrian; the driver in front of you may think you are honking at him. Don't blow your horn at the driver in front of you the second the light turns green. If a stressed-out motorist is on edge, the noise may set him off. Scores of shootings began with a driver honking the horn.

¥ Failure to turn. In most areas right-hand turns are allowed after a stop at a red light. Avoid the right-hand lane if you are not turning right.

¥ Parking. Do not take more than one parking space and do not park in a handicapped parking space if you are not handicapped. Don't allow your door to strike an adjacent parked vehicle. When parallel parking, do not tap the other vehicles with your own. Look before backing up.

¥ Headlight use. Keep headlights on low beam, except where unlighted conditions require the use of high beams. Dim your lights for oncoming traffic; don't retaliate to oncoming high beams with your own in order to "teach them a lesson." Don't approach a vehicle from the rear with high beams and dim your lights as soon as a passing vehicle is alongside.

¥ Merging. When traffic permits, move out of the right-hand acceleration lane of a freeway to allow vehicles to enter from the on-ramps.

¥ Blocking traffic. If you are pulling a trailer or driving a cumbersome vehicle that impedes traffic behind you, pull over when you have the opportunity so that motorists behind you can pass. Also, do not block the road while talking to a pedestrian on the sidewalk. Dozens of shooting suggest that this behavior irritates a lot of people.

¥ Car phones. Don't let the car phone become a distraction -- keep your eyes and attention on the road. Car phones can be great for security but bad for safety. In addition, car phone users are widely perceived as being poor drivers and as constituting a traffic hazard. The data clearly show that aggressive drivers hate fender-benders with motorists who were talking on the telephone.

¥ Alarms. If you have an antitheft alarm on your vehicle, be sure you know how to turn it off. When buying an alarm, select one that turns off after a short period of time.

¥ Displays. Confederate flags on pickup trucks are not a good idea. Refrain from showing any type of bumper sticker or slogan that could be offensive; this might include an "IM RICH" license plate.

¥ Eye Contact. If a hostile motorist tries to pick a fight, do not make eye contact. This can be seen as a challenging gesture and incite the other driver to violence. Instead, get out of the way but do not acknowledge the other driver. If a motorist pursues you, do not go home. Instead, drive to a police station, convenience store, or other location where you can get help and there will be witnesses.

Reduce Your Own Stress

Traffic stress -- indeed, anger in general -- is hazardous to your health. The stress from road congestion is a major contributing factor to violent traffic disputes. Making a few simple changes in the way you approach driving can significantly reduce your stress level in the car.

¥ Consider altering your schedule to avoid the worst congestion. Allow plenty of time so that you do not have to speed, beat traffic lights, or roll through stop signs. Think -- is it really the end of the world if you are a bit late? Could you plan your day so you could leave a little earlier?

¥ Improve the comfort of your vehicle. Use your air conditioner, install a tape or CD player to enjoy uninterrupted music or books on tape, and get a pillow or seat cover to make your seat more comfortable. Listen to classical music or any music that reduces your anxiety; avoid anger-inducing talk radio, for example.

¥ While in traffic, concentrate on being relaxed. Don't clench your teeth. Loosen your grip on the wheel, take a deep breath, and do limited exercises and stretches for your arms and legs.

¥ Don't drive when you are angry, upset, or overtired.

Most importantly, understand that you can't control the traffic but you can control your reaction to it.

Adjust Your Attitude

Give the other driver the benefit of the doubt. Assume that other drivers' mistakes are not intentional and are not personal. Be polite and courteous, even if the other driver isn't; it's better to err on the side of caution.

Before reacting to another driver's mistake, ask yourself, "How many times have I made the same mistake?" Before initiating or responding violently to a traffic situation, ask yourself, "Is it worth being paralyzed or killed? Is it worth the time and money for a lawsuit? Is it worth a jail sentence?" Remember, split-second impulsive actions can ruin the rest of your life.

Encased in metal armor, many motorists who are normally passive become enraged road warriors when they get behind the wheel. Don't become one of them. These individuals should be advised that (a) cars are not bulletproof; (b) another driver can follow you home; and (c) you've got to get out of the car some time.

Avoid all conflict if possible. If you are challenged, take a deep breath and get out of the way, even if you are right. You don't want to be dead right. Instead, try being more forgiving and tolerant. Recognize the absurdity of traffic disputes and focus on what is really important in life. You cannot fight every battle. Save your energy -- and your life -- for something worthwhile.

1 This number does not include cases in which people were injured or killed as a result of random snipings, so-called thrill shootings, violent carjackings, or by objects thrown from overpasses. It also does not include people injured or killed by armed robberies of motorists or other common highway crimes, and it does not include people killed or injured in "ordinary" drunk driving or hit-and-run collisions.

Answer 2

90% of the people on the road today don't know how to drive. Even though it's the law to signal every time you change directions, how often do you see people not signaling? The left lane(fast lane) on the freeway is for passing. Not for driving next to someone doing the same speed. Not for passing with your cruise set one mile an hour faster than the other guy. You should dim your headlights whenever you see another cars headlights or taillights. And you should never have your brights on within city limits. That's the law also. I don't condone road rage, but I'll let the person know with a gesture if there are no kids in the vehicle.

Answer 3

i havent experienced road rage to the point where i wanted to or have come close to hurting someone but really there alot of people out there who don't put 100% of their attention into driving, people don't use turn signals, drive alot slower than the speed limit with no apparent reason, drive like maniacs well over the speed limit, cut you off and force you to slam on your brakes to avoid rear-ending them, and i've been rear-ended twice now and had been stopped at a red light for few minutes! I can see why people get angry but road rage is really just immature adults who do not know how to handle their anger, i guess that's why anger management is a popular topic in psychology now. that's my rant on road rage! :)

Answer 4

Yes, I have experienced road rage as an onlooker, recipient and even a provider. In fact, the latter is what caused me to more deeply look at why a large percentage of drivers sometimes operate vehicles in this manner. This is what I assume and is solely based on opinion:

1) Most of us reside and live our lives in major metropolitin areas; cities. It is unfortunate and easy to loose perspective on what is really important in life when one is constantly bombarded with the underlying stress that comes with "The Rat Race".

2) Vehicles have become, over time, an extension of their owner. They are no longer just faster modes of transportation than walking or horses, they can become a member of the family. I am not saying a person should not have pride in the items they own, however it does point to a certain level of inferiority when a person feels they need to project a personality, persona or status via a motorized vehicle.

3) Moral decency, manners, respect, common courtesy seem to be becoming old fashioned, out dated values that do not have the time nor place in the 21st century.

4) People tend to be instinctavely competative and born finding it difficult to share. "Out of my way. Hooray for me and nuts to you". A well adjusted, mature person does not think nor act in this way. So, think of a notorious road rager as a little kid, yet to grow up and one that definately will not share.

5) We feel anonymous in our cars. "So what if I cut someone off and endanger lives. What are they going to do about it and I'll never see them again." Sharing a parcel of land with a million other people can have that effect or impact on some people.

So that is my 2 cents, for what its worth. A habit I forced myself into everytime I drive and has now become habit is to find a way as soon as possible to do something nice. Whether it be by waving someone in at a crowded merge or better yet wanting 5 cars to jump in front of me, taking pride in driving the speed limit, not riding up the muffler of the person in front of me or just saying good morning to a complete stranger commuting next to me in traffic (Try that. People look at you like you're a serial killer. It cracks me up.) If I make sure to do something nice, especially early on, it is amazing how that good feeling stays with me throughout the remainder of my day. Its a good way to start. I know, sounds dorky right? Well thats my point. People are too worried about loosing or not looking cool.

See you all out there tomorrow morning. Be nice and be nice to each other.

Answer 5

I haven't experience road rage yet but in my country, you are likely to get it because of bad traffic.

As it is, it helps a lot we can be passive about the situation, letting other drivers take over our lane who are driving like hell.

What I do is, when i'm really pissed off, while all the windows are closed, I just curse at the driver and let go. It helps me manage my anger and just move on.

Answer 6

I easily have continuously suggested that a poorly designed equipment of transportation is the basis clarification for highway rage. we are driving on roads that have been designed interior the 50's for site visitors of the 50's. automobiles are predicted to circulate lots quicker in the present day and there are so lots extra of them. the government does not help with its very spotty regulation enforcement. additionally, driving licenses are too elementary to get and too difficult to lose. that would desire to be any different way around. what's going to ultimately restoration the challenge is as quickly as we get to a factor to the place it particularly is prohibited to easily force your guy or woman vehicle. we are getting to the technological factor to the place computers can cope with each and every thing. enable the computers force and take the human emotion out of the equation.

Answer 7

This society is just too fast paced. It is less so in the less populated areas. But where there is many people in a small area, things do become more tense.

Just ignore those angry people. Even if you can kick their butt, just ignore them. Just look at what happed to Alex Gong, the world champion kickboxing champion. He got killed when he tried to confront a hit and run vehicle. I am sure he could have beat the driver to the ground, but you can't beat a gun. It's just not worth it.

Answer 8

Because there are just to many people on the roads and at least 1/4 of them are really bad drivers that should have their license taken away.

Answer 9

I really think that it is linked to the stress levels we are under in today's world. It is a never ending challenge to balance work, family, finances... the list goes on and on. I believe that we are all under so much pressure and that a great deal of us are struggling to make ends meet and still keep our lives going. I believe that we are just stretched so thin that the smallest things make us angry or frustrated.

Answer 10

I live with MR. ROAD RAGE himself! LOL That is WHY I drive most places when HE is with ME/US! LOL

He is just impatient. He doesn't like to wait on people. Always in a hurry. He is an excellent driver, just can't control his anger.

His sister is the same way. Always YELLING when driving. Can't just mellow out.

Answer 11

Yes, sure !
People are angry because we are taught that the behavior of other people cause our anger......

Anger is NOT caused by what someone else does or says - It is caused by what you THINK about what someone did or said!!! People are buttheads all the time.....But it gets to you IF you say to yourself THEY SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THAT~! You think people should know better; but, they don't !

When you realize you have no control over what others DO ; but, you DO have control over what you THINK about what they do. This puts YOU in control over your own emotions!!! It's empowering..... You can say, "hey, I don't like what she just said, or he did, but s/he just doesn't know any better!" In other words, cut people some slack; cut yourself some slack, too. Don't expect to be good at this overnight; just say "Oops, I just let that get to me again! Let's see, what could I think about this to feel better?"