Why does driving make us so angry?

Ever had to deal with an irate motorist?

Exactly where I reside, the question ought to possibly be: “Ever come across a motorist who is not mouthing obscenities, flashing their lights, leaning on their horn and producing hand gestures that defy explanation to your youngsters sitting in the back?”

Or maybe that says much more about my driving than something else.

Be that as it might, it seems road rage is endemic. A staggering 81% of drivers have been victims of road rage, according to a recent survey by Carwow.co.uk.

It’s your shout…

Shouting would appear to be the most common expression of anger. But aggressive or hazardous driving and verbal abuse are also normal occurrences.

And one in 5 drivers has been threatened in a road rage incident.

But if road rage is so common, how come 51% of us claim we in no way give in to our aggression? Is it actually the case that only 30% of us permit anger to get the much better of us after or twice a month, as the survey suggests – or are we too ashamed to ’fess up and admit we do our fair share of yelling and gesticulating?

Authority figures

The authorities have attempted to crack down on road rage by introducing £100 penalties for poor driving habits, such as tailgating and lane hogging.

Quite whether this will have the preferred effect remains to be seen. After all, if you are prone to tantrums that make your veins stand out on your temples, are you genuinely going to be capable to modify your behaviour at will?

The root of the difficulty is surely woven into how cars and driving impact our psychology.

Most of us behave differently when we’re driving. We lose our inhibitions because we feel anonymous and immune.

In other words, we make rude gestures at other motorists behind the wheel that we would in no way dream of generating face to face.

Fighting the fury

So whilst it is tempting to blame road rage on a particular group of dilemma drivers, we must all acknowledge our prospective to drop our rags and consider about how we can stay away from confrontation, pressure and accidents.

Here’s a handful of recommendations:

• enable a lot of time for your journey. If you are late, you are a lot more probably to be aggressive


• do not get behind the wheel if you are upset, angry or unwell (or hungover – a disastrous idea for all manner of reasons, not least the reality that you’re almost certainly still more than the limit)


• do not permit your self to be distracted by music, phones, maps or passengers


• do your best not to antagonize other drivers. So, no lane hogging, inappropriate use of the horn, flashing your headlights, tailgating or cutting-up


• wave an apology if you make a error as the acknowledgement can defuse a potentially explosive situation


• don’t competing with other drivers. It’s a public highway, not a racetrack


• if somebody else is driving aggressively, do not make eye get in touch with, shout or gesticulate.

What if you are the victim?

It’s most likely occurred to all of us. You suddenly locate yourself on the getting end of a barrage of abuse and aggressive behaviour.

So what’s the best strategy?

Tailgaters can be especially intimidating, but you need to by no means compromise your own security. So, don’t speed up or brake abruptly.

Instead, attempt and uncover a safe way to let the tailgater pass. For example, you may possibly drive twice round a roundabout.

If a driver is persistently aggressive, you may well want to head to a protected, public location and call the police. Never allow an angry driver to adhere to you property.

And if the motorist gets out of the car to strategy you, lock the doors and do not open the window. It can also help to make a note of the registration number and a description of the driver and the auto.

Temper your temper

It is not often easy to keep calm on the roads, specially if you are stuck in heavy visitors or reduce up by an inconsiderate motorist. But losing your temper is not going to help.

In reality, it is much more most likely to make factors worse.

So next time you feel the anger increasing, take a deep breath, smile and count to 10.

Why does driving make us so angry?