Road Rage - A Growing Problem

There was a really interesting programme on BBC1 earlier in the week discussing the growing problem of Road Rage.

It's a really strange thing isn't it? Most of us are rational human beings going about our normal daily lives and wouldn't dream of harming another person intentionally. Very often the perpetrators of violent attacks due to road rage were just ordinary people going home after a hard day at work. Often, the incident that caused the person to become enraged may have been something quite simple and even trivial.

Let's face it we all get annoyed sometimes. The difference is how we deal with it. We all have anger, it's an important human emotion and if we don't manage our emotions in the car then we can all be subject to extreme road rage. Something strange happens when we get behind the wheel of a car. The problem isn't unique to the UK, it's the same around the world. People can switch from a rational human being to a lower mode - a state Psychologists sometimes refer to as 'reptilian thinking'. If we perceive that we have been attacked by another driver then we flick into that 'reptilian' mode and it can easily escalate into a duel.

Usually it consists of a bit of shouting and the odd unflattering hand signal, but it can spill over into something far more dangerous - sometimes with fatal results. For example, a person may become so angry over an aggressive driving incident that he or she overreacts and retaliates with some type of violence. These violent acts can range from a physical confrontation to an assault with a motor vehicle or a weapon and have sadly, on occasions, even resulted in the death of one of the parties involved.

Half the difficulty is the awareness gap between what people consider aggressive driving in themselves and what they recognise in others. A recent survey and found that, on average, people say that 85 per cent of drivers are aggressive, but only admit to being aggressive themselves three per cent of the time.

If you get wound up when driving it might help to consider the following points:

1. You wouldn't get angry if someone stopped suddenly or changed direction without warning whilst you were out walking or cut in front of you with their shopping trolley at the supermarket. Why should it be any different now?

2. Roads are like “moving communities where the drivers around you are your neighbours, not your enemies. You'd most likely hold the door open for someone at the bank or shop. Why not hold the space open to let them through?

3. If something negative happens on the road, ask yourself the following question:

“Will it matter tomorrow?”

If the answer is no then ask yourself the following question:

“Will it matter in an hour's time”

When you think about it, it's extremely unlikely that it will. Why not let the matter drop now?

4. Tell yourself how much better it is to stay calm and rational, how much you prefer being this way, how you want to be more tolerant and supportive, and how you don’t need any hassles, etc. Congratulate yourself on overcoming your anger.

Have the courage to conquer your road rage! Make life on the road more enjoyable, more comfortable and safer for everyone.