Why does driving make us so angry?

Ever had to deal with an irate motorist?

Exactly where I reside, the question should possibly be: “Ever come across a motorist who isn’t mouthing obscenities, flashing their lights, leaning on their horn and creating hand gestures that defy explanation to your kids sitting in the back?”

Or maybe that says 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 current survey by Carwow.co.uk.

It is your shout…

Shouting would look to be the most typical expression of anger. But aggressive or harmful driving and verbal abuse are also regular occurrences.

And 1 in 5 drivers has been threatened in a road rage incident.

But if road rage is so frequent, how come 51% of us claim we never ever give in to our aggression? Is it genuinely the case that only 30% of us permit anger to get the far better of us when 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 tried to crack down on road rage by introducing £100 penalties for poor driving habits, such as tailgating and lane hogging.

Very whether or not this will have the desired impact remains to be noticed. Following 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 issue is certainly woven into how vehicles and driving impact our psychology.

Most of us behave differently when we’re driving. We shed 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 never dream of making face to face.

Fighting the fury

So although it is tempting to blame road rage on a distinct group of issue drivers, we must all acknowledge our possible to drop our rags and consider about how we can avoid confrontation, stress and accidents.

Here’s a few ideas:

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


• don’t get behind the wheel if you are upset, angry or unwell (or hungover – a disastrous thought for all manner of reasons, not least the reality that you are possibly nonetheless over the limit)


• don’t allow your self 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 predicament


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


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

What if you’re the victim?

It is probably happened to all of us. You all of a sudden find your self on the receiving end of a barrage of abuse and aggressive behaviour.

So what’s the ideal strategy?

Tailgaters can be particularly intimidating, but you need to in no way compromise your own security. So, do not speed up or brake all of a sudden.

As an alternative, try and discover a protected way to let the tailgater pass. For example, you may well drive twice round a roundabout.

If a driver is persistently aggressive, you may possibly want to head to a secure, public location and get in touch with the police. By no means allow an angry driver to follow you house.

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

Temper your temper

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

In truth, it is far more probably to make things worse.

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

Why does driving make us so angry?