Why does driving make us so angry?

Ever had to deal with an irate motorist?

Exactly where I reside, the query need to most likely be: “Ever come across a motorist who is not mouthing obscenities, flashing their lights, leaning on their horn and creating hand gestures that defy explanation to your kids sitting in the back?”

Or possibly that says far more about my driving than something else.

Be that as it could, it appears 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 is your shout…

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

And a single 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 genuinely the case that only 30% of us permit anger to get the greater of us when or twice a month, as the survey suggests – or are we also 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 or not this will have the preferred effect remains to be seen. Soon after all, if you’re prone to tantrums that make your veins stand out on your temples, are you actually going to be capable to modify your behaviour at will?

The root of the dilemma is surely woven into how vehicles and driving have an effect on our psychology.

Most of us behave differently when we’re driving. We drop our inhibitions simply 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 producing face to face.

Fighting the fury

So while it is tempting to blame road rage on a specific group of issue drivers, we ought to all acknowledge our prospective to drop our rags and feel about how we can avoid confrontation, stress and accidents.

Here’s a couple of ideas:

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


• do not get behind the wheel if you are upset, angry or unwell (or hungover – a disastrous notion for all manner of causes, not least the truth that you are probably still over the limit)


• don’t permit oneself to be distracted by music, phones, maps or passengers


• do your very 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


• do not competing with other drivers. It is a public highway, not a racetrack


• if somebody else is driving aggressively, don’t make eye contact, shout or gesticulate.

What if you are the victim?

It’s most likely occurred to all of us. You suddenly find your self on the getting finish of a barrage of abuse and aggressive behaviour.

So what’s the greatest approach?

Tailgaters can be specifically intimidating, but you ought to never compromise your own safety. So, do not speed up or brake all of a sudden.

As an alternative, try and discover a safe way to let the tailgater pass. For instance, you might drive twice round a roundabout.

If a driver is persistently aggressive, you may well want to head to a secure, public place and contact the police. Never ever allow an angry driver to comply with you house.

And if the motorist gets out of the car to approach you, lock the doors and don’t open the window. It can also help to make a note of the registration quantity and a description of the driver and the vehicle.

Temper your temper

It’s not constantly easy to remain 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 assist.

In reality, it is more probably to make items worse.

So next time you really feel the anger rising, take a deep breath, smile and count to 8.

Why does driving make us so angry?