 |
What
is it?
When Dr. Zalaquett asked if I was familiar with the term “road
rage”, I thought he was referring to a rare phenomenon. However,
as he began to quiz me about experiencing various driving scenarios,
I soon realized that I was all too familiar with “road rage”. “You
mean like the time that idiot cut me off in traffic; that made me
so mad that I honked my horn and used a certain reflexive hand gesture?” “And
then there was the time that…” He continued to wait patiently
as my stories of traffic skirmishes unfolded. Like most people who
experience first-hand the chaos of rushing around in traffic and
dealing with aggressive drivers, a question like Dr. Zalaquett’s
can trigger a pretty impassioned response.
Road rage, or aggressive driving. When I think of aggressive driving,
I think of simple risk-taking, such as speeding, driving too slowly,
tailgating, weaving recklessly through traffic, ignoring stop signs
and red lights, and cutting off other drivers. However, these minor
signs of aggression can progress to great extremes. For instance,
in Salt Lake City an unfriendly gesture turned to violence when a
honk from 41-year-old Larry Remm Jr. caused 75-year-old J.C. King,
who was blocking traffic, to follow Remm until he pulled off of the
road, throw his bottle of prescription medication at him, and smash
his knees with his ’92 Mercury.
Those who research aggressive driving described it as any unfriendly or threatening
actions, including forcing another driver from the road, cursing another driver,
or, in more extreme instances, shooting at the car of another driver. In most
of the literature Road rage, or aggressive driving, usually refers to an angry
or impatient motorist who attempts to kill or injure another driver because
of a traffic dispute.
Road rage is more pervasive than one can imagine. According to one survey,
about 89 percent of 1,020 drivers said they saw first-hand examples of road
rage within the last month, and 42 percent admitted to driving aggressively
themselves during this time period.
What are the statistics?
Statistics show that 250,000 people have died in traffic since 1990. It is believed that two-thirds of these deaths are at least partially caused by aggressive driving, although only 218 were found to be a direct cause of angry drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 66 percent of all annual traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving actions, such as passing on the right, running red lights and tailgating.
In addition to fatalities, there have been an estimated 20 million injuries; 12,610 caused by aggressive driving. These numbers show that there has been a 51 percent increase in aggressive driving incidents since 1990. Of these incidents, 37 percent involved the use of a firearm, 28 percent involved other weapons, and 35 percent involved the use of a car as a weapon. Related to this increase in aggressive driving incidents may be the fact that the number of drivers on the road is increasing; as of 1990, 91 percent of people drove to work.
Who is the typical aggressive driver?
Dr. John A. Larson, author of Steering Clear of Highway Madness, groups aggressive drivers into five categories: Speeders, passive aggressors, narcissists, vigilantes, and competitors. Several characteristics are related to the most typical aggressive driver: being under 35, single, no education and a mid-level income. Furthermore, although women are more likely to confess to angry driving, men are more likely to participate in true "road rage", in which an angry driver intentionally harms another driver. Whether or not an aggressive driver takes physical action depends on the degree of anger he or she feels. "If someone pulls out in front of you or cuts you off, you may be justified at four or five on a scale of 10.if you're up to seven to 10, though, that's an exaggerated response," says Larson.
Redford Williams, M.D., at Duke University, points to a hostile personality type as an indicator of someone who is more likely to get angry quicker. "They are also four to seven times more likely to die of other health problems by age 50 than are even-tempered people," said Williams. For example, people with long drives to work are found to have higher blood pressure than people who take shorter routes to work. One frustrated commuter states, "it feels unnatural to forget about the jerk riding my tail or ducking in front of me to save half a second and some drivers-not me, of course - respond to overaggressive road behavior as if piloting a car were a contest. They drive to 'win' rather than simply to get to their destination."
How can I tell if I'm an aggressive driver?
There are several checklists and tests developed to help you determine if you are an aggressive driver. One method, suggested by Dr. Larson was to tape-record yourself while driving and play back your enraged comments. This will allow you to see how you are really acting and thinking while behind the wheel. Dr. Zalaquett suggests asking other people, such as your friends, spouse, other relatives, colleagues or coworkers. They may have something to tell you about your driving.
There are several other sources available for determining whether or not you are among the ranks of aggressive drivers.
| The Aggressive Driving and Road Rage
(ADRR) page was designed for college students and persons that
commute everyday. The ADRR was created by Carlos P. Zalaquett,
Lic., MA., PhD. The contents were compiled and summarized by
Heather Thornton and Dustin Thornton. |
|
