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Road rage: according to a nationwide study, instances of drivers 'losing it' are up 51 percent from 1990
Current Events, Jan 30, 1998
LOS Angeles -- Horrible things seem to be happening on the nation's roads and highways.
* In Colorado Springs, Colo., a 55-year-old man persuades a 17-year-old boy who had been following him too closely to pun over. The man decides that, rather than just yell at the teen, he will shoot him.
* In Santa Cruz, Calif., a martial-arts expert is pulled from his car by an elderly man angry that the other man had passed him. The elderly man beats up the martial arts expert and takes off.
* In Massachusetts, a driver flashes his high beams at a slow-moving motorist in front of him. When the two come to a stop, the slower driver leaves his car and shoots the would-be passer with a crossbow.
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No, these incidents are not the opening of a new episode of The X-Files. They are real, and they represent a growing problem not only in the United States but around the world. Experts call the problem "road rage."
AAA Study
A major study released last year by the American Automobile Association (AAA) reported that the rate of "aggressive driving" incidents -- defined as events in which an angry driver tries to kill or injure another driver after a traffic dispute -- has risen 51 percent since 1990. According to the report, drivers have been assaulted with weapons ranging from partially eaten burritos to canes ("a favorite with the elderly and disabled") to golf clubs.
The AAA study found that 37 percent of road-rage drivers used firearms against other drivers; 28 percent used other weapons; and 35 percent used their car to ram another driver or car. Fifty-five percent of road rage cases are committed by men, and 45 percent by women.
Road rage is also blamed for a high percentage of accidents and traffic deaths.
"A 3,000-pound car in the hands of a rude, hostile person is a lethal weapon," said Ricardo Martinez, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The NHTSA estimates that two-thirds of 1996's 42,000 highway deaths were at least partially the result of road rage.
Causes of Road Rage
Why are so many motorists boiling over with anger like overheated radiators?
One reason, say police, is the increase in traffic congestion. Since 1987, the number of miles of U.S. roads has increased by only 1 percent. But the total number of miles driven by Americans has jumped by 35 percent. That means there's a lot more driving being done on nearly the same amount of road.
Police also say another cause of the increase in road rage is that drivers are speeding more than ever. As a result, fast drivers get mad at people who drive slowly or who simply drive at the posted speed limit but block the speeders' way. And slower drivers have no patience with cars they think are racing at high, unsafe speeds.
Other reasons given for the increase in road rage, though, have a lot to do with how people feel about themselves and their cars.
For many, driving means being in control. "People love their independence," said Richard Skrinjar of Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation. "The time they spend in their car is probably the only time they feel in control." When that control is threatened by another driver, common sense often goes away.
Fighting Road Rage
Many states are zeroing in on road rage. Special police patrols in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey are watching for aggressive drivers. In Maryland, anti-rage messages flash on electronic billboards.
These measures may help, say psychologists, but many believe the key to reducing road rage lies deep within each of us. Leon James of the University of Hawaii, an expert on road rage, suggests that instead of emphasizing defensive driving -- which implies that the other driver is the enemy-drivers should focus on "supportive driving," which simply means being cooperative and polite on the road.
Arnold Nerenberg, a Los Angeles psychologist who calls himself "America's road rage therapist," has published a booklet called Overcoming Road Rage. He advises drivers to examine what sets off road rage and "visualize overcoming it." Other tips: Remember that other drivers "have feelings. Let us not humiliate them with our aggression." In the chapter titled "Peace," Nerenberg suggests, "Take a deep breath and just let it go. "
* Since the invention of the first successful American gasoline-powered automobile in 1894, American life has changed beyond recognition. The wide use of automobiles has brought about many well-known features of life in the United States, including motels, shopping centers, and drive-in fast food restaurants.
* Until the early 1900s, however, automobiles were affordable only for the rich. Henry Ford changed all that. In 1908, Ford built an assembly plant (photo below) that produced an automobile that sold for about $80 -- cheaper than other cars. He called the car Model T. 1914, improvements in the assembly line allowed Ford to sell the Model T for only $400. Between 1908 and 1927, Ford sold more than 15 million Model Ts -- and changed the face of America.
