ROAD RAGE

AGGRESSIVE
DRIVING ON THE
ROAD
 AGGRESSIVE DRIVING

More drivers have started acting out their

anger when they get behind the wheel.
Cut off
Tailgated
Slowed down by a vehicle in front of them.
Angry drivers can commit incredible acts of
violence.
Assault and murder
 AGGRESSIVE DRIVING
STATISTICS

AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety studied:

More than 10,000 incidents of violent
aggressive driving committed between 1990
and 1996.
It found that at least 218 people were killed.
Another 12,610 angry drivers got injured.
 What is ROAD RAGE?

No national definition for the term “road

rage”
It is commonly defined as a societal
condition where motorist lose their temper in
reaction to a traffic disturbance.
In most cases, the traffic situations
encountered are typical of today's normal
driving conditions in higher traffic volumes.
 Aggressive Driving

“Aggressive driving” refers to an angry

motorist attempting to intentionally injury
or kill another driver because of a traffic
dispute.
Aggressive drivers react negatively and use
their vehicles to retaliate by making sudden,
threatening maneuvers.
This makes “Road Rage” a serious issue of
traffic safety for yourself and others.
 What Causes Aggressive
Driving Behaviors?

Aggressive driving behaviors are triggered

by a variety of stimuli.
Provoked by the actions of another driver.
Set off by road congestion.
Most are caused by the drivers’ own moods
and reactions when they get behind the
wheel.
 Stated Reasons for Violent
Traffic Disputes

 Arguments over parking  Overuse of the horn.

spaces.  Failure to use turn
 Cutting another motorist signals.
off or refusing to allow
passing.
 Minor traffic crashes.
 Obscene gestures.
 Slow driving.
 Loud music.
 Violent Traffic Disputes

Violent traffic disputes are rarely the

results of a single incident, but rather are
the cumulative result of a series of
stressors.
Traffic incident that turns violent is often
“the last straw”
 Aggressive Driver Profile

Persons who exhibit aggressive behaviors cross

all ages, race, socioeconomic and gender lines.
Even people who are usually “mild-mannered”
can blow their top behind the wheel.
People who are characteristically cynics, rude,
angry or aggressive are pone to get angry more
often.
Those people are “raging” at home, at work, and
on the road.
 Aggressive Driver Profile

Majority of perpetrators:
Males between the ages of 18 and 26.
Hundreds of reported cases were 26 to 50
years old.
In 86 cases the driver was between 50 and
75 years old.
 Aggressive Driver Profile

No one profile for aggressive drivers.

Most are relatively young, poorly educated
males with criminal records, histories of
violence, and drug or alcohol problems.
Many have recently suffered an emotional or
professional setback.
Hundreds of others are educated men and
women with no such histories.
 Aggressive Driver Profile

While most of the drivers are male:

Approximately 4% were female.
Women used their vehicle as a weapon in
285 cases.
In 31 known cases, women attacked police
officers, usually while the officer was
attempting to issue a traffic citation.
Common Motorist Irritants

Tailgating to pressure a driver to go faster

or get out of the way.
Flashing lights in order to signal drivers to
move to another lane.
Obscene gesturing.
Changing lanes without signaling.
Blasting the horn.
Common Motorist Irritants

Frequently changing lanes by weaving back and

forth.
Racing to beat a yellow light that’s about to turn
red.
Traveling in the passing or left lane at a slower
speed, making it impossible of others to pass.
Driving with high beams on behind another
vehicle or toward on coming traffic.
Common Motorist Irritants

Cutting drivers off.

Slowing down after passing someone.
Not making a right turn in the right-hand
turn lane.
Not reacting quickly after the light turns
green.
How Can Motorist Protect
Themselves?

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the other

driver’s CAPACITY for MAYHAM.

BE PATIENT and

KEEP your COOL
in traffic.
 Practice Basic
Traffic Courtesy
 Do not make obscene
gestures
 Use your horn sparingly
 Don’t block passing lane
 Don’t switch lanes
without signaling
 Avoid blocking the right-
hand turn lane
 Do not take more than
one parking space
 If you are not disabled,
don’t park in a disabled
space
 Do not allow your door to
hit the car parked next to
you
 Do not tailgate
 If you travel slowly, pull
over & allow traffic to
pass
 Practice Basic
Traffic Courtesy

Avoid unnecessary use of high beams

headlights
Don’t let the car (cellular) phone distract
you
Don’t stop in the road to talk with a
pedestrian or other driver
Don’t inflict loud music on neighboring
cars
 Other Useful Attitudes

Assume other driver’s mistakes are not

personal
Be polite and courteous, even if the other
driver isn’t
Avoid all conflict if possible. If another
driver challenges you, take a deep breath
and get out of the way
 Reduce Your Stress

Allow plenty of time for the trip.

Listen to smoothing music.
Improve the comfort in your vehicle.
Understand that you can’t control the
traffic, only your reaction to it.
 Enraged Road Warriors

Many otherwise peaceful motorist become

enraged road warriors when they get
behind the wheel. If you’re one of them,
be advised that:
a) cars are not bullet proof;
b) a truly aggressive driver will follow you
home; and
c) you’ve got to get out of the car eventually.
 FINALLY

If you are tempted to participate in a

driving duel, ask yourself:
Is it worth being paralyzed or killed?
Is it worth a jail sentence?

An impulsive action could ruin the

rest of your life.