How Road Rage Hurts and Ways to Lessen It

The following scenario could be about you or me. At one time I was quick to anger behind a wheel, so for presentation, I'll say it's me.

It's Friday afternoon. I'm in my car driving home from work, looking forward to the weekend. I'm listening to my favorite music, and the weather is just perfect. Traffic is heavy, but moving steadily. I'm sitting at a red light. Three cars are ahead of me. It sure seems to be a long light. As if on cue, the light turns green.
I continue sitting there, car idling. One foot is on the accelerator, anxious to get going. Hey people, let's get this show on the road. I honk the horn. "Are you asleep up there?" I shout. Oh so slowly the cars ahead of me are creeping forward. I'm feeling irritated now, but get over it.

Traffic is moving along now. Suddenly somebody just misses the front of my car by a hair as he cuts in front of me. "That idiot!" and press my brake pedal to avoid hitting him. I ought to hit him just to teach him a lesson. That really ticks me off! I change lanes so I can get beside him. Rolling down the window on the passenger side, I shout, "Where'd you get your license, Bucko? You just cut me off!" He glances at me, sees my angry face shouting and responds by giving me the finger.

Now I'm livid and he has gone on ahead. What would a typical person do after the incident? I hope you're going to let the incident go. The above is a hypothetical scenario of prime time road rage, or aggressive driving.

Road rage is a nationwide problem so prevalent that it has become the focus of study by the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, the federal government, National Highway Traffic Safety Association and other groups. Road rage or aggressive driving has been involved in two-thirds of more than 250,000 traffic fatalities since 1990.

Driving is a privilege that comes with the responsibility of driving safely and leaving the "me first" attitude off the road. "Driving is a cooperative venture, not a competitive sport." [speaker at a government committee meeting regarding aggressive driving and road rage]

Some readers are likely to disagree with this. However, research has indicated that traffic enforcement has not increased to accommodate the increased number of drivers. Without sufficient enforcement, the laws of the road become the laws of the jungle. Well-enforced laws relay the message that aggressive driving will not be tolerated.

Part of the growing problem of road rage is congestion. The number of drivers has increased approximately thirty-five percent since 1987 while roadways have expanded only one percent. Congestion is sometimes the catalyst that lights a driver's already-short fuse. Many drivers consider their car an extension of their personal space and become defensive when they sense their territory is being invaded.

In addition, people are under more stress. They are attempting to fit more activity into less time, and make up time on the road. These drivers tend to take more risks, such as making unsafe lane changes, veering in and out of traffic, and going through "rellows." That's a yellow light that turns red before getting completely through the intersection.

Citizens in the Washington, DC metropolitan area rank aggressive driving more of a concern than drunk driving. It's that serious!

Polls taken in the '90s revealed that citizens are afraid of driving because of possible violence. I'm afraid to honk my horn if someone is sitting at a green light. He might have a gun and use it on me.

"Three years ago, road rage and the fear of road violence was unheard of in Utah, but my District was shocked recently by two murders on I-15, which runs through the heart of Salt Lake City. One young mother was shot and killed while driving up a freeway on-ramp by a man in another car who was angry at her for cutting him off. Another man, a husband, father, and notably kind man in our community, was shot and killed only a few months ago on his way to work by another angry driver who got out of his car in stalled traffic, walked back to this man's car, and shot him repeatedly." Merrill Cook, Congressman

Help for Combating Road Rage

We cannot control what other drivers do. There are things we can do to stay cool in frustrating traffic situations.
Here are a few tips from MSNBC:

• Get comfortable by loosening tight clothing or rolling down the window.
• Distract yourself; listen to calming music or an audiobook.
• Take a series of slow, deep breaths to reduce anger and stress.
• Don't assume the worst, and realize that every driver makes mistakes.
• Think of the big picture; an extra five minutes won't kill you. Driving aggressively might.
• Treat other drivers with the same common courtesy you'd expect in the grocery aisle.

For more information, go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18575768/

There are no guarantees that these tips will keep aggressive drivers and road rage out of your driving experience. Following these tips is to help you. You might even want to put them on your dashboard. Avoid eye contact with the angry driver and don't offer an apology that could be misinterpreted. You can be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Everybody makes mistakes. Some drivers have made a sign that says "Sorry." When you flash the sign, the offended driver is likely to react more kindly to a mistake you might have made.

Seasoned drivers sometimes become a little too relaxed while driving. It's important to maintain awareness. Avoid reading the paper, using the cell phone without a Bluetooth or headset, put makeup on at home. Remember to use the turn signals and other rules of the road you probably learned in high school.

I've noticed that courtesy toward other drivers is often contagious. Go ahead, let merging traffic in. Let someone get in front of you. They might be turning at the next corner. If you're stuck in heavy traffic and want to change lanes, attempt to get the attention of the driver you want to get in front of and "ask" to get in. Most of the time, that driver will give you room.

May your driving be a pleasant experience.

Sources:
http://www.aaafoundation.org/resources/index.cfm?button=roadrage
http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/Trans/hpw105-34.000/hpw105-34_0f.htm