Humanity : Ferment (Road Rage)

Road rage

a. an aggressive or angry behavior of a driver of automobile or other road vehicle.

b. the behavior is inclusive of rude gestures, verbal insults, deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening manner, or making threats.

c. Road rage can lead to squabble, assaults, and collisions that result in injuries and even deaths. It can be thought of as an extreme case of aggressive driving.

A.   Introduction

Society is now moving at a faster pace more than ever and the emphasis on the value of time has caused us to be much more aggressive on the road, especially during commuting hours. Some see the traffic ahead of them as an obstacle which needs  to be overcome at any cost.

Couple this with society's needs of  becoming accustomed to instantaneous,  a fast needs syndrome,  the problem of overcoming traffic woes becomes more pronounced. Whatever the reasons may be, this attitude can place those who share the roadway in harm way.

Did You Know ?

The most obvious form of road rage is aggressive and excessive speeding, particularly on congested highways or in bad weather.

     i.      Speed causes nearly one-third of all fatal motor vehicle crashes.

     ii.    Speeding reduces the time drivers have to avoid a crash or a dangerous situation and greatly increases the likelihood the crash will be severe.

     iii.   The energy released in a collision at 60 mph is 200 percent greater than at 40 mph, even though the speed has increased by only 50 percent.

Manifestation

The following are common manifestations of road rage:

• Generally aggressive driving, including sudden acceleration,                            braking,  and close tailgating •   Cutting others off in a lane, or deliberately preventing someone from merging •   Chasing other motorists •   Flashing lights and/or sounding the horn excessively •   Yelling or exhibiting disruptive behavior at roadside establishments •   Driving at high speeds in the median of a highway to terrify drivers in both lanes •   Rude gestures (such as "the finger") •   Shouting verbal abuses or threats •   Intentionally causing a collision between vehicles •   Hitting other vehicles •   Assaulting other motorists, their passengers, cyclists or pedestrians •  Exiting the car to attempt to start confrontations, including striking other vehicles with an object •   Threatening to use or using a firearm or other deadly weapon •   Throwing projectiles from a moving vehicle with the intent of damaging other vehicles

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Contributing Factors To Aggressive Driving:

Experts suggest many reasons for the increase in aggressive driving and road rage.

i.     Sociologists suggest it is due to the breakdown in our society's sense of community and a disintegration of sharing values.

ii.  Psychologists also point out to due to the intoxicating combination of need of power (speed), superiority and the anonymity on the road provided by motor vehicles.

iii. Traffic engineers tend to believe the problem is due to inconsistent driving speeds among travelers.

a.  Traffic Congestion:

       Traffic congestion is one of the most frequently mentioned contributing factors to aggressive driving. Drivers with low tolerances for traffic delays might respond by following too closely, changing lanes frequently, or becoming angry at anyone who impedes their progress.

b.   Running Late:

       Some people drive aggressively because they have too much to do and are running late for work, school, their next meeting, lesson, soccer game, or other appointment.

Many otherwise law-abiding citizens often justify speeding when running late, almost as they would in a medical emergency. Speeding because one is running late to pick up a waiting child or getting an elderly parent to a doctor's appointment is often deemed as okay in the minds of even some of the safest drivers.

c.    Anonymity:

       A driver can develop a sense of anonymity and detachment when insulated within the privacy of a vehicle. Tinted windows further detach drivers, aiding to the misconception others are not watching or being identified.

       The anonymity may also provoke antisocial behavior unseen in other normal interaction they experience with others. Combine this with having the power of a motor vehicle and the knowledge that it is unlikely they will ever be seen again by those they offend and the result can be extreme rudeness and even turn an otherwise nice person into a dangerous, raging individual.

d.     Disregard for Others and for the Law:

        The erosion of shared values and respect for authority, variously attributed to the rift of the extended family, increased individual flexibility, media influence, and other characteristics of modern society.

       It does appear that civility and respect for authority has decreased, the trend epitomized by the phrase, "I want to be the first."

B.   Habitual Or Clinical Behavior:

Most motorists rarely drive aggressively and for others, aggressive driving are frequent occurence, and for a small proportion of motorists it is their usual driving behavior.

Occasional aggressive driving might occur in response to specific situations, such as speeding and changing lanes abruptly when late for an important appointment, when it is not the driver's normal behavior.

Among the chronic aggressive drivers there are those who had learned the inappropriate driving style and consider it appropriate, and others who may have learned to drive properly, but for whom the behavior is an expression of disorder.

C Legal Status

The legal definition of road rage consisting combinations of behaviors expressed while driving or arising from traffic-related commotion

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (U.S) defines road rage as when

a.  “an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property”;

b.    “an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator” or

c.   “passenger(s) of one motor vehicle on the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle caused by an incident that occurred on a roadway”.

This definition makes an important distinction between a traffic offense and a criminal offense. However, many in the field of psychoanalysis say this definition is flawed.

Psychologists are now considering a new label for road rage. Many claim that road rage is really a form of mental illness or a combination of emotional responses culminating in a pattern of behavior or syndrome. This implies that the behavior may be outside the control of the perpetrator.

This concept is legally precarious as it could excuse many drivers of their dangerous behavior and aggressive driving. Less-than-honest motor vehicle operators and their legal defense teams may use this new view (of road rage as a syndrome) as a catch-all defense against charges of road way altercations.

Road Rage or Aggressive Driving

One of the big issues with aggressive driving and road rage is that the driving public and the police define "aggressive" very differently.

Surveys show that many drivers don't consider certain behaviors -- like honking the car horn or changing lanes without signaling -- to be aggressive at all.

One survey found that only 47 percent of American drivers consider driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit to be a kind of aggressive driving, though law enforcement officials tend to disagree.

Dr. James divides aggressive driving into three areas –

a.    impatience and inattentiveness,

b.    power struggles, and

c.    recklessness and road rage.

Impatience and inattentiveness –

Categorized by behaviors like

    o  driving through red lights

    o  rolling through stop signs

    o  blocking intersections,

    o  speeding and

    o  not using signals when turning or changing lanes.

Drivers who engage in these behaviors often say that their schedules are very busy, that they've run out of time or that their mind was on something else. This is the lowest level of aggressive driving -- behaviors that are annoying and could trigger road rage in another, but are less risky than other negative behaviors.

Power struggles –

A more serious misbehavior, and they include

o  preventing someone from moving over into your lane,

o  using gestures or obscene language  to humiliate or threaten other drivers,

o  tailgating and

o  cutting off another driver or braking  without warning as an act of retaliation.

These behaviors stem from an unhealthy mentality in which drivers feel as if they're the target of malicious acts. Many people feel a sense of entitlement and self-righteousness when behind the wheel of a car -- it's common for them to feel that someone who makes a mistake needs to be punished. Most of us have wished for another driver to feel guilt or shame for an action we've deemed stupid or dangerous -- according to Dr. James, that's the first step to entering into a power struggle.

Recklessness and road rage –

The most serious incidents include behaviors like

o   entering into a duel with another car,

o   racing at dangerous speeds and

o   committing assault with a weapon or your vehicle.

In these cases, aggressive driving gives way to outright violence. While road rage isn't exactly a worldwide epidemic, studies have shown that incidents have increased each year. Skeptics point out that this could be due to an increase in reporting incidents, however, and may not actually indicate an increase in cases.

D.   Statistics

Statistically, young men are the most prone to road rage. Whether this is due to an inclination to aggression, a lack of experience or just the simple fact is that young men tend to drive more than other age and gender groups.

A poll of 2,000 UK motorists found that more than a half (61 per cent) of those suffered either a verbal or physical attack in the last 12 months. (Express.co.uk, published:, May 31, 2017)

With just over 38.6 million license holders registered on the UK's roads and statistics may explain why 66 per cent of traffic fatalities are believed to be due to aggressive driving.

The poll however found that motorists are reporting just 6 per cent of road rage incidents, with one in five motorists being left too scared to get back behind the wheel.

The new research showed that men were the worst offenders, with 4 in 5 abusers being men with an average age of around 37.

When it comes to the victims of road rage, both genders are equally as likely to receive abuse from male drivers.

However, women are almost twice as likely to suffer three or more incidents of road rage in a single year (35 per cent compared to 25 per cent of men).

Half of those surveyed said they felt incidents were common at junctions, while 47 per cent said they'd been abused most on main roads.

Meanwhile bus drivers seem to be everyone's chum on the carriageway, with just 7 per cent of motorists reporting feeling threatened by one.

E.    Psychologically

  §  Road rage as a medical condition

As early as 1997, therapists in the United States were trying to certify road rage as a medical condition. Officially, is not a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

According to Associated Press in June 2006, the behaviors typically associated with road rage can be the result of intermittent explosive disorder. This conclusion was drawn from surveys of some 9,200 adults in the United States between 2001 and 2003 and was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. The cause of intermittent explosive disorder has not been described to date. There are differing views on whether or not "road rage" is a mental issue. Regardless of whether it is or not, there are alternative solutions for overcoming this handicap.

In 5% to 7% of the nearly 10,000 drivers studied, road rage behavior was present. A general theory came out of the study, Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) was identified as the cause of road rage.

Whether or not it is a medical basis for road rage, you still need to know how to deal with it. Uncertain situations can escalate unpredictably, and the best advice is to avoid confrontations altogether. If you tend to provoke other drivers or are on the aggressive side of road rage, put some effort into learning new driving habits.

And for those of us who run the middle of the road, maintain those defensive driving skills and keep a watchful eye on developing hazardous situations.

  §  Driving reality

There's no denying that driving can be a risky and emotional experience. For many of us,

§  Our cars are an extension of our personality, and it might be the most expensive possession we own.

§  When we drive, we're aware that there's potential for injury and property damage.

§  Driving might be an expression of freedom

§  But it's also an activity that tends to increase our stress levels, even if we're not aware of it at the time.

§  Driving is also a communal activity

§  You might think of driving in terms of your own individual experience.

§  But once you pull into traffic, you've joined a community of other drivers, all of whom have their own goals, fears and driving skills.

   §  Selfish Culture

Psychologists Dr. Leon James and Dr. Diane Nahl say that one factor in road rage is our tendency to concentrate on ourselves while disregard the communal aspect of driving. It is very easy to recognise that another driver's actions can affects us emotionally, which can change into anger.

A  traffic psychology, Dr. James, known as "Dr. Driving," believes that the core cause of road rage isn't due to traffic jams or more drivers on the road -- but how our culture views aggressive driving.

In our culture, children learn that the normal rules regarding behavior and courtesy don't apply when driving a car. They see their parents engage in competitive-driving behaviors, maneuvering the car with multiple lane changes or traveling at high speeds in a rush to get to a destination.

Some popular films and television shows portray aggressive driving as a positive, or at the very least, an exciting activity. To complicate matters, for year’s pop psychologists suggested that the best way to relieve anger and stress was to express your frustration, essentially your negative emotions.

However, psychological studies show that expressing doesn't help relieve anger at all. In a road rage situation, venting can help escalate an incident into a violent encounter. There is a tendency to view a person who backs away from confrontation as a coward, creating a sense of pressure on a driver to not give up any ground even when no one is judging him. With that in mind, it's no surprise that violent encounters happen occasionally.

Almost everyone is vulnerable to engage in irrational behavior while driving -- Dr. James even goes so far as to say that most people are emotionally handicapped when they drive. The key, psychologists say, is being aware of your emotional state and making the right choices, even when you are tempted to act out emotionally.

   §  Unleashing Your Inner Alligator

Neurologist Paul MacLean put forward  that the human mind is the combination of three brains, one of which is known as the reptilian brain and is similar to the brain found in reptiles.

This part of the human mind, which consists of the brainstem and cerebellum, is responsible for our sense of survival and the fight-or-flight reaction we have to fear and stress. Road-rage incidents stem from the stimulation of the reptilian mind -- a driver experiencing road rage feels threatened and responds aggressively to ensure survival. MacLean states that the reptilian brain is inflexible, compulsive, ritualistic and incapable of learning from previous experience.

F.    Anatomy of a Road Rage Incident

A typical road rage incident happens when at least one driver choose to act out in anger. Usually, the driver is already feeling stress when something triggers an aggressive reaction. Many road-rage drivers reported being under duress in other areas of their lives, like work or relationships, all of which contribute to a driver's stress level, making him more vulnerable to engaging in irrational behavior.

Dr. James Dr. James also identifies several aspects of driving that contribute to our frustration and stress levels, including:

Immobility	- we're stuck sitting behind the steering wheel and can't physically relieve tension
Constriction	-  because we must drive on roads, our options are limited, often giving us the feeling of being boxed in.
Lack of control	- although we maintain control of our own vehicle, many other variables like traffic, lane closures, and the behavior of other drivers, are completely outside of our influence.
Territoriality	-  like many animals, human beings react negatively when we feel our space is threatened by someone else.
Denial and loss of objectivity	-  we tend to overlook our own faults and place blame on others.
Unpredictability	-  we all know that every time we drive there are going to be unexpected events, such as someone pulling out into traffic ahead of you without warning -- this makes driving more stressful.
Ambiguity	-  because there's no culturally agreed-upon way to signal an apology to another driver, it's easy to misinterpret someone's actions as a sign of aggression or insul

           Many police incident reports mention that multiple parties contributed to the escalation of emotions leading up to a violent encounter. As one driver reacts in anger to the other, the second driver in turn reacts negatively, and the emotions (and aggressive tactics) escalate, feeding each other in a vicious cycle. Ultimately, these behaviors lead to a complete surrender to base emotional reactions, and the drivers leave rationality behind.

Dan Goleman, a psychologist who coined the term Emotional Intelligence, says that anger is a seductive emotion. When you get angry, your heart beats faster and your body prepares for confrontation.

The rush of adrenaline that comes as a result of real or perceived danger makes it easy for us to give into anger. It's a real challenge to impose self-control and behave in a way that's contradictory to how you initially feel. In other words, road rage tends to happen because it's easy to fall into the trap of directing anger toward another driver.

G.   Avoiding Road Rage

Everyone makes mistakes, even you. No matter how skilled a driver you are, you're bound to make an error at some point that could seriously agitate another driver. Here's some news that's worse: Sometimes you don't even have to make a mistake to trigger someone else's road rage. Because a person experiencing road rage isn't rational, he might interpret a reaction as innocent as an increase in speed as an act of aggression.

Fortunately there's some good news to go along with the bad -- by keeping a level head and calm point of view, you can avoid most conflicts:

Physical Reactions

a.    Don't show a physical reaction to an aggressive driver's behavior.

b.    In particular, you should avoid eye eye contact, as this is often seen as a sign of mutual aggression.

c.    Advice like this might give you the impression that drivers experiencing road rage are similar to aggressive animals in the wild.

Don’t Horn

a.    Do not use your car horn to express displeasure at other drivers -- doing so might make them more aggressive.

b.    It's extremely difficult to resist the urge to express yourself.

c.    Try to keep in mind that there are more important factors than your displeasure.

d.    Remember that your safety, the safety of your vehicle and the safety of everyone around you is far more important than your sense of indignation.

  Control Yourself

        a.    Wind down before you crank it up. Avoid making other drivers angry by avoiding anger yourself.

      b.    Anticipate situations and make plans accordingly. Regular traffic reports in most cities alert you to the traffic congestion. Learn alternate routes or leave for work earlier.

       c.    Take action before stress and fatigue get to you. Learn to spot warning signs and act on them

      d.    If you plan a long journey, take it in stages. Do not remain behind the wheel for more than three hours without a break.

      e.    Keep control of your own temper when someone is driving aggressively. Remember that many people don't view their own actions as aggressive. Surveys have shown that drivers often think of their own actions as assertive, but not aggressive. Try not to match another driver's behavior.

  Be Patient & Pay Attention

      a.    Don't yell or use obscene gestures.

      b.    Don't block the passing lane. Stay to the right if you are obstructing the flow of traffic.

      c.    Always signal when changing lanes. Use your horn sparingly.

      d.    Don't tailgate

     e.    Cooperate and don't compete on the road. Let other drivers merge into traffic in an orderly fashion.

   f.     Don't take another's actions personally. Everybody makes mistakes.

  Avoid A Driving Assault

       a.    Don't react to another driver's uncivil behavior—

       b.    avoid eye contact and don't tailgate, accelerate, brake or swerve suddenly, which can be seen as confrontational.

      c.    If confronted by an aggressive driver, go to the nearest police station if you continue to be hassled or think you are being followed.

Lock your doors.

a.    When stopped in traffic, leave enough space to pull out from behind the car you are following.

b.    Don't be tempted to start a fight or carry any sort of weapon. These acts may provoke an assault.

Courtesy

         a.    Try to be kind and courteous to your fellow drivers.

         b.    practice good driving habits.

        c.    Encountering an aggressive driver, it's better to let him have his way, even when it feels unfair. A mental attitude

          d.    It's more important to think of driving as a group experience instead of a competition.

          e.    Try to increase the distance between you and the aggressive driver.

          f.     Remember that he is likely under just as much stress as you are -- he's just really bad at handling it.

Say "I'm Sorry”

a.    In an effort to bridge the communication gap among drivers, Jerry E. Beasley and E. Scott Geller patented a Vehicle Signaling System, which allows drivers to display a message, like "sorry," to other drivers.

b.    According to the patent, "the messages associated with the use of the communication system are selected for enhancement of safety and to avert the negative responses associated with road rage"

  Time Your Journey

a.    Try to give yourself plenty of time to get to where you're going.

b.    Often, frustrations bubble up when we feel we're running out of time, especially in traffic. Another strategy is to accept that you're running late, and you can't do anything about it.

Relax

a. Listen to relaxing music and concentrate on breathing.

b. Try to avoid aggressive thoughts and concentrate on something neutral instead.

c. The more you focus on a trigger, the more likely you'll make yourself angry.

Don’t React

a. Don't show displeasure to other drivers.

b. There's a good chance that it was a mistake on the other driver's part

c. Resist the urge to honk your horn, cursing and obscene gestures in your repertoire.

Avoid venting.

i. It isn't helpful and can actually increase your elevated sense of danger and frustration.

ii. There's also the chance that the driver will see you and react in kind, escalating the situation.

iii. Avoid venting your frustrations. Instead, assume the driver doesn't mean to be unsafe or thoughtless

Make Your Intention Known

i.  When entering traffic or changing lanes, have enough room for monevering

ii.  Signal when turning or changing lanes.

iii. Make sure you have established a safe following distance between your vehicle and the one in front of you.

Forget about winning.

No one wins in a highway crash

Empathize

        a.    Put yourself in the other driver's shoes. They may be driving that way because of an actual emergency!

Excerpt and extracts taken with many thanks from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_rage

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/outreach/dsweek/rage.htm

Dr. Driving.org

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-hazardous-conditions/road-rage.htm

http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/road-rage.php

Charles Montaldo ; http://crime.about.com/od/victims/p/roadrage.htm

http://www.progressiveonline.com.au/road-rage-tips.aspx

http://www.bestcounselingdegrees.net/road-rage/

http://www.drivers.com/article/165/

Originally "road rage" was meant of one driver action against another. It is no longer true. By last year it had come to include in  a Washington, D.C., a bicyclist who shot the driver of a car who ran into him, and a Scottish couple who threatened a driver with a knife after his BMW ran over their dog. The definition of "road rage" now requires neither a road nor rage.