Aggressive Driving and Road Rage
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July 17, 2006 | By: 
Comments (8) |
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From the perspective of law enforcement, road rage and aggressive driving involve speeding, aggressive acceleration, tailgating, and cutting-off other drivers. It’s common for aggressive drivers to use their horn excessively, flash their lights unnecessarily, use rude verbal and physical gestures, and even form lane convoys that block access. There is a difference between aggressive driving and road rage though: aggressive driving is a traffic offense while road rage is a criminal offense. According to the NHTSA, road rage is defined as "an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle or an assault precipitated by an incident that occurred on a roadway.
Aggressive driving is a behavior that affects every type of driver, including society’s most normal and upstanding men and women. Some psychologists have suggested that certain drivers are more susceptible to losing their tempers behind the wheel than others. In fact, road rage can sometimes fall under the medical explanation of “Intermittent Explosive Disorder,” which affects millions of Americans.
Regardless of whether you are an aggressive driver, or an unfortunate victim in the proverbial cross-hairs of an aggressive driver, there are simple measures you can take to prevent an unfortunate event.
What to do if you’re an aggressive driver:
- Visualize what your behavior would look like in public — if you were not in your car.- Be a cautious and courteous driver. Relax and let other motorists pass you, comfortably merge, and take the right-of-way.
- All drivers make mistakes; nevertheless, resist the urge to teach them a lesson. They'll learn it eventually without your help.
- Don't make inappropriate hand or facial gestures. Don’t feel like you have to give someone “the finger.”
- Lead by example. Drive the way you want other people to drive. This may mean having to swallow your pride and back away from aggression.
- Don’t be in a rush. Give yourself ample time to get to your destination and understand where you are driving to.
What to do if you’re the target of an aggressive driver:
- Get out of the way.- Don’t make matters worse by triggering a confrontation. Avoid eye contact and steer clear, giving angry drivers plenty of room.
- Take an unintended turn or highway exit to get away from someone who may be targeting you.
- Try giving an "I'm sorry" wave of your hand (not to be confused with the middle finger).
- Report their license plate, their vehicle make, and the details of your interaction to the authorities immediately.
- Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold-your-own.
- If a driver continues to hassle you or you think you are being followed, drive on to the nearest police station or busy place to get help.
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Comments (8)
Shirley
July 30, 2006 21:10
I have encountered several people displaying road rage. I suppose the one that could have caused me to be physically injured was when someone following me closely eventually tried to run my car off the road.
Ingrid
July 30, 2006 21:10
I get road rage bad but hey, if it wasn't acceptable to get a 70% on a driving test, we wouldn't have all the idiots on the road that make us angry. It seems like there's always someone who is just stupid on the road. I know there are some of you out there who have sat behind the village idiot waiting for them to move and look at them and say DUH! I just don't have patience for stupid people. I had some retard hit me going into a gas station and she just drove off like nothing happened I flipped the car around and asked her if she saw the car before hitting it or if she was to preoccupied on the phone to notice! That's the other thing that gets me. Why talk on the phone in the car? I feel if it's that important that you can't wait until you get home then pull over or let them call back later. I have had a lot of close calls with people on the cell phone, but because I am always paying attention to what's going on around me, I have avoided these accidents. I have been rearended 4 times and all of them were at a stoplight, and you guys wonder why we have road rage???
Rick
July 29, 2006 20:13
I was a victim of road rage by a taxi. I reported him to the dispatcher, but did not write as requested. Why waste my stamp on this *^&%$ or identify myself for retaliation!
He was behind me and didnt think I got into traffic from the side street fast enough. I was looking for a bigger opening. He hassled me for 2 miles, before I turned into the grocery store. I wont use that taxi service anymore.
Ken
July 27, 2006 09:46
The problem is not so much road rage as those IDIOTS that create it. Get out of the left lane if you are going to go slow. If the fast moving people can get by and on their way, they won't be upset. In most states, it is illegal to pass on the right. Slower Traffic Keep Right (with enforcement) would go a long way to reducing road rage.
Leanna Van
July 27, 2006 09:32
Road Rage is a matter of prespective. I thought my husband was horrible at getting angry at the wheel, and I thought it was not normal unti I went to Costa Rica and Panama and saw the driving down there and all the honking and yelling out the windows and all the hand signals and realized that maybe if we weren't so up tight here and normalized our rage, we wouldn't have all this killing and wounded people. We would do as they do around the world, yell out the window at the other driver and the other driver would yell back and then continue on with their lifes, unstressed.
Elrod Hummer
July 25, 2006 22:41
Seriously, I want to call 911 sometimes when there is an aggressive driver. What should I do? Should I call? Should I say that they seem to be drunk? I appreciate you bringing up this subject. It's a challenge for me!
Charles
July 18, 2006 18:51
Intermittent Explosive Disorder
What is this cute way to say the driver is an @%#*& what a bunch of @*^%$@#$!
Is there is a pill you can take for it also wow get a life.
Charles
Karl Daniels
July 18, 2006 15:45
I am guilty of road rage. Some years ago I approached a traffic roundabout too fast to stop in time, and went straight through. An oncoming vehicle had to brake to let me through. The driver was very displeased and demonstrated it by his aggressive and dangerous driving. After being forced onto the wrong side of the road by this driver, I retaliated and deliberately rammed him side on. I got back on to the right side of the road, and he lost control of his vehicle and mounted the sidewalk.
I've learnt since then to drive further away from the vehicle in front, which has reduced immensely the sense of frustration I often feel stuck behind slower vehicles.