Since the invention of cars, driving is one of the most dangerous activities for the majority of people. Millions of drivers have been killed since 1900. Road rage, however, incorporates a much broader issue than someone just losing their temper. Some health professionals term it “intermittent explosive disorder.” The term means violent incidents resulting from stress caused by incidents on the roadways.
According to, AAA “Aggressive driving has become a topic of concern over the last few decades, and for good reason. In an analysis of 10,037 police reports and newspaper stories about traffic accidents that led to violence, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found “road rage” contributed to 218 deaths and 12,610 injuries between 1990 and 1996. Worse, AAA found that road rage incidents increased nearly 7% each year within that period.”
As the term “road rage” is somewhat new, the actual phenomenon has been an issue for decades. Since the problem has become more prevalent law enforcement is taking an active approach to dealing with the issue.
Road rage can be the result of traffic jams, accidents, or construction delays, as an example, however, in many cases, the problem comes from phycological problems a person might be dealing with in life. The rage is escalated by a problem in traffic.
According to a recent AAA report, “78 percent of U.S. drivers self-report having road rage. That’s nearly 8 in every 10 drivers who reported engaging in aggressive driving behavior within the last year.
AAA conducted the study, which involved 2,705 drivers, in 2014. While few reported regularly engaging in the various behaviors AAA asked about, a significant portion of the respondents admitted to engaging in one or more of the behaviors at least once within the past year.”
Road rage can begin with simple reactions like hand gestures, waving, or yelling curse words. But elevate to more aggressive behavior, even lethal actions.
In an article from Safe Motorist, “The following statistics compiled from the NHTSA and the Auto Vantage auto club show that aggressive driving and road rage are causing serious problems on our roads.
- 66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving.
- 37% of aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm.
- Males under the age of 19 are the most likely to exhibit road rage.
- Half of the drivers who are on the receiving end of aggressive behavior, such as horn honking, a rude gesture, or tailgating admit to responding with aggressive behavior themselves.
- Over seven years, 218 murders and 12,610 injuries were attributed to road rage.
One scary statistic worth noting is:
- 2% of drivers admit to trying to run an aggressor off the road!”
The rage is an expression of some underlying problem with the person; not the vehicle, or weapon. On the road, behaviors that can trigger incidents of road rage are varied. Some people may just not like the way you look behind the wheel. Everybody is capable of expressing road rage, yes even you. Anyone who is driving should learn and understand defensive driving skills to help minimize anger outbursts.
Basic Emotional Defensive Driving Skills
Any person must possess certain emotional competence skills to be a less aggressive driver. It means being able to identify a problem before any serious situation arises. Then taking steps to resolve the problem immediately.
Consider the following items to build an emotionally intelligent response without resorting to aggressive behavior.
- Focus on self-actions over blaming someone else
- Learn how feelings and thoughts act together
- Anger is something we choose, overthinking our actions beforehand
- Being concerned about consequences
- Respecting other drivers
- Driving is a collective teamwork vs, individual competition
- Drivers and their needs vary according to each situation
- Be a positive role model to others on the road
- Learn to inhibit the impulse to criticize; instead, use a sense of humor about tense driving situations
- Become aware of your own mistakes and take responsibility, instead of blaming others
In many situations, a large case of unsafe driving conditions is a driver’s unwillingness to examine their own conduct, before blaming other drivers.
Psychological Science states, “As predicted, across all experiments participants believed that they were exceptional drivers—but only according to their own definitions of good driving. Participants assumed that others would rank important driving skills, like checking blind spots or using turn signals, differently than they would.”
The point is…. we have all been frustrated driving at some point. However, there is a line between irritation and full-blown rage. No one should take any retaliatory action against another driver.
Do any of the following symptoms bother you?
- Honking excessively
- Yelling obscenities or displaying rude hand gestures
- Speeding or racing other vehicles
- Tailgating or following too closely
- Cutting off vehicles or blocking vehicles from changing lanes
If you find yourself getting increasingly angrier driving, please seek professional assistance.
At TNT Anger Management Services, the goal is to teach clients how to regulate their anger before it becomes a problem. Anger is an active emotion that causes a person to react to a situation without considering the consequences.
By scheduling regular sessions with a psychotherapist, clients can develop social skills to maintain self-control, which in turn trains them to respond to anger as unwanted or unpleasant.
Since the invention of cars, driving is one of the most dangerous activities for the majority of people. Millions of drivers have been killed since 1900. Road rage, however, incorporates a much broader issue than someone just losing their temper. Some health professionals term it “intermittent explosive disorder.” The term means violent incidents resulting from stress caused by incidents on the roadways.
According to, AAA “Aggressive driving has become a topic of concern over the last few decades, and for good reason. In an analysis of 10,037 police reports and newspaper stories about traffic accidents that led to violence, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found “road rage” contributed to 218 deaths and 12,610 injuries between 1990 and 1996. Worse, AAA found that road rage incidents increased nearly 7% each year within that period.”
As the term “road rage” is somewhat new, the actual phenomenon has been an issue for decades. Since the problem has become more prevalent law enforcement is taking an active approach to dealing with the issue.
Road rage can be the result of traffic jams, accidents, or construction delays, as an example, however, in many cases, the problem comes from phycological problems a person might be dealing with in life. The rage is escalated by a problem in traffic.
According to a recent AAA report, “78 percent of U.S. drivers self-report having road rage. That’s nearly 8 in every 10 drivers who reported engaging in aggressive driving behavior within the last year.
AAA conducted the study, which involved 2,705 drivers, in 2014. While few reported regularly engaging in the various behaviors AAA asked about, a significant portion of the respondents admitted to engaging in one or more of the behaviors at least once within the past year.”
Road rage can begin with simple reactions like hand gestures, waving, or yelling curse words. But elevate to more aggressive behavior, even lethal actions.
In an article from Safe Motorist, “The following statistics compiled from the NHTSA and the Auto Vantage auto club show that aggressive driving and road rage are causing serious problems on our roads.
- 66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving.
- 37% of aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm.
- Males under the age of 19 are the most likely to exhibit road rage.
- Half of the drivers who are on the receiving end of aggressive behavior, such as horn honking, a rude gesture, or tailgating admit to responding with aggressive behavior themselves.
- Over seven years, 218 murders and 12,610 injuries were attributed to road rage.
One scary statistic worth noting is:
- 2% of drivers admit to trying to run an aggressor off the road!”
The rage is an expression of some underlying problem with the person; not the vehicle, or weapon. On the road, behaviors that can trigger incidents of road rage are varied. Some people may just not like the way you look behind the wheel. Everybody is capable of expressing road rage, yes even you. Anyone who is driving should learn and understand defensive driving skills to help minimize anger outbursts.
Basic Emotional Defensive Driving Skills
Any person must possess certain emotional competence skills to be a less aggressive driver. It means being able to identify a problem before any serious situation arises. Then taking steps to resolve the problem immediately.
Consider the following items to build an emotionally intelligent response without resorting to aggressive behavior.
- Focus on self-actions over blaming someone else
- Learn how feelings and thoughts act together
- Anger is something we choose, overthinking our actions beforehand
- Being concerned about consequences
- Respecting other drivers
- Driving is a collective teamwork vs, individual competition
- Drivers and their needs vary according to each situation
- Be a positive role model to others on the road
- Learn to inhibit the impulse to criticize; instead, use a sense of humor about tense driving situations
- Become aware of your own mistakes and take responsibility, instead of blaming others
In many situations, a large case of unsafe driving conditions is a driver’s unwillingness to examine their own conduct, before blaming other drivers.
Psychological Science states, “As predicted, across all experiments participants believed that they were exceptional drivers—but only according to their own definitions of good driving. Participants assumed that others would rank important driving skills, like checking blind spots or using turn signals, differently than they would.”
The point is…. we have all been frustrated driving at some point. However, there is a line between irritation and full-blown rage. No one should take any retaliatory action against another driver.
Do any of the following symptoms bother you?
- Honking excessively
- Yelling obscenities or displaying rude hand gestures
- Speeding or racing other vehicles
- Tailgating or following too closely
- Cutting off vehicles or blocking vehicles from changing lanes
If you find yourself getting increasingly angrier driving, please seek professional assistance.
At TNT Anger Management Services, the goal is to teach clients how to regulate their anger before it becomes a problem. Anger is an active emotion that causes a person to react to a situation without considering the consequences.
By scheduling regular sessions with a psychotherapist, clients can develop social skills to maintain self-control, which in turn trains them to respond to anger as unwanted or unpleasant.
