Road Rage and Aggressive Driving Discussed

Road rage or the angry behavior of a particular driver is revealed by his or her gestures or verbal insults.

Road rage, aggressive driving and other similar behaviors can also be inferred when a motorist drives in an unsafe manner, posing a threat to other motorists and pedestrians. Road rage can lead to verbal assaults, physical harm and vehicle accidents that can result to both injuries and deaths.

There a number of transportation experts who claim that traffic congestion can be considered as a valid contributing factor to driver frustration that often leads to road rage.

The term road rage, aggressive driving started in the US during the 1980s.

Signs of road rage, aggressive driving in progress:

1. Sudden acceleration and/or sudden breaking and close tailgating.
2. Cutting others off in the middle of traffic.
3. Sounding the car’s horn in an excessive and unreasonable manner and/or extreme flashing of lights.
4. Driving at an extremely high speed in the middle of the road with the goal of frightening other car drivers and pedestrians.
5. Rude body gestures like throwing a “dirty finger” in the air to be seen by other motorists.
6. Shouting and/or using abusive and profane language or threats.
7. Deliberately causing collision between other vehicles.
8. Getting out of the car to start an argument or a confrontation with another driver, sometimes striking someone else’s car with an object.
9. Giving a threat to use a gun or other deadly weapon.
10. Throwing hard and damaging objects to other vehicle while on the move with the intention of hurting other drivers.
11. Spitting at the other driver and other disrespectful remarks and gestures.

Studies reveal that in the US alone, there are more than 300 reported cases of road rage every year ended in serious injuries and death. According to the six-year AAA study when they examined national police records, there are actually 1,200 road rage incidents each year.

Road rage, aggressive driving and other similar behaviors are nothing to be taken lightly. It can be considered as a threat to public safety that is why some humanists find it insufficient when “road ragers” stopped by police are often charged with relatively minor offenses like careless or reckless driving. Those however, who have caused serious injuries or death are additionally charged with homicide through reckless imprudence.

In order to prevent and avoid road rage, there are a few things that can be done. So if you have the tendency to be an irritable and frustrated driver, then perhaps you should take a step back and honestly examine your driving behavior. You can start by reducing your stress level behind the wheel by getting enough sleep, staying relaxed and calm when driving, and preparing yourself for traffic and slow vehicle movement.