How Road Rage can Lead to Dangerous Situations
When someone prone to road rage gets into their vehicle, they're armed and dangerous – their car is their weapon. And it's potentially lethal. Behind the wheel, even the most docile person can morph into a hostile beast who terrorizes other drivers by cursing and shouting at them, making obscene gestures, honking their horn, flashing their headlights, aggressively tailgating or cutting them off, blocking other cars with their vehicle, and even threatening another driver with bodily harm – or worse. Road rage, which started grabbing headlines in the 90s, has reached epidemic proportions. And like an epidemic, its consequences can be deadly.
According to theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), road rage is responsible for one-third of automobile crashes and two-thirds of driving-related fatalities. And a person's disposition can't always be a predictor of enraged driving, since otherwise even-tempered people often become dangerously irrational when the rubber meets the road. Within the impersonal confines of their car they react to a perceived affront with an uncontrollable outburst that would be unthinkable face-to-face.
Distraction during a road rage incident can have dire consequences. Several drivers can get so caught up in a verbal argument, or goading each other with malicious gestures, that they pay more attention to each other, and less attention to the road. Simple annoyance with other drivers can also shift someone's focus away from controlling their vehicle. They become so engrossed in doing two things at once – driving while expressing hostility toward someone else – that they are very likely to drive recklessly. The California Institute of Transportation Safety (CITS) indicates that the distraction caused by road rage leads to numerous traffic-related deaths each year.
When a driver becomes intensely agitated by a situation, they strive to intimidate other drivers by tailgating, cutting cars off, speeding, making sudden, multiple lane changes, braking without warning, blowing through traffic lights and signs, and blocking cars that want to pass them. Don't react to a road rager or make eye contact, as they may see these as invitations to strike back.
Road rage can escalate from mild irritation to full-blown violence. It may lead to a fistfight between drivers, or the brandishing of weapons. According to the "Digital Journal," a North Carolina couple who were cut off in traffic pursued the perceived offenders for 25 miles. The men then got into a fistfight and gunshots were fired, but no one was injured. And the entire time that this brutality was taking place, a toddler was in the couple's car.
Within the insular world of the vehicle, the road rager feels empowered by the sensations of anonymity and disconnection. This treacherous perception allows them to feel like an observer, rather than a participant on the road, and therefore exempt from its rules and laws. They may even get their windows tinted, to further their sense of detachment. Their disrespect is also intensified by having the power of a vehicle at their disposal, and by knowing they will probably never be seen again by the people they terrorize. This makes them even more brazen and dangerous because they believe they are untouchable.
Traffic jams are huge triggers for people prone to road rage. They follow too closely, cut people off to change lanes numerous times, and become livid if anyone gets in their way. Because traffic is moving so slowly, other drivers are at risk if the road rager gets out of their car seeking a verbal or physical showdown. If this happens, stay in your vehicle, lock all of your doors, roll up the windows – and be sure to avoid eye contact, as well as hand gestures. When traffic starts moving again, put as much distance as you can between yourself and the road rager. If they persist, call 911 for help from the police.
Road rage isn't something that can be cured with a pill or a shot. But it can be prevented. Practice good driving habits so you're less likely to draw someone's ire. And if you do encounter a person gripped by road rage, let them have their way. You may feel like you're letting them win. But by not getting lured into their web of rage, there's only one clear winner – you.
