What Causes Road Rage? Can It Be Controlled?

Many people comment that drivers today are far more aggressive than they were even just a decade ago. Often these drivers are not only driving in a dangerous way, but also in a threatening manner. The term most used when describing overly aggressive drivers like this is called “road rage”. The fact that road rage exists is not in question, but what causes road rage and how can it be avoided is. Road rage is one of the many factors that have made the nation’s roads more dangerous now than ever before.

The many causes of road rage:

Personal Relationships
Whether married or not, personal relationships gone sour are just the kind of emotional stress that can push someone over the edge so they become an irate driver.

Bad Day At Work
Professional relationships gone bad are another source of stress for drivers, this can apply directly to road rage as most bad days at work are immediately followed with the worker getting behind the wheel and driving home.

Lack Of Sleep
Exhaustion is a key ingredient in becoming easily frustrated to the point that a response to a bad situation is exagerated and over the top.

Punctuality
Many aggressive drivers and people who drive in a threatening manner are continually running late and feel rushed to get to their location. They see other people on the road as obstacles to them being able to get where they are going.

Climate
Excessive heat or extreme cold can also lead to someone driving aggressively. Often people get frustrated when they are uncomfortable for a significant amount of time and extreme temperature can easily make them uncomfortable.

There are many other issues that also contribute to whether a driver is prone to road rage, but the main cause behind it is stress and frustration. The stress can manifest itself over time and build up to the point where the driver explodes in a fit of rage or it can come on all of a sudden too. The hard part for people who are prone to anger quickly is to recognize the signs and to not take it out on their fellow commuters who share the road with them.

Road rage can easily, and quickly, escalate from a simple hand gesture shown in anger or frustration to vehicular assault. Controlling one’s own emotions so that this doesn’t happen is the best way to avoid falling victim to a person’s own weaknesses towards aggressive driving. The simple reality is that everyone on the road is doing the same thing and going through roughly the same process of getting from point A to point B. If a person approaches their driving from the perspective that every driver should work together to make the traveling process smoother, then they are going to be less likely to have a road rage incident as they will be thinking of their fellow commuters as people that are on their side.

Road rage is dangerous and is responsible for thousands of injuries and deaths every year. Through drivers being both relaxed and realistic when behind the wheel though, most of these problems can be avoided. One key to avoid going over the edge into the world of road rage is to either avoid or eliminate stress, or to be able to keep a stressful situation from affecting the emotional temperament of the driver. It is possible to eliminate and reduce the incidents of road rage, but the drivers who are prone to it need to make an effort in its reduction.