ROAD rage is referred to as any incident of aggressive and angry driving. It’s not a well-defined concept and it encompasses everything from being annoyed in one’s own car, to making angry gestures, to full-on physical violence.

A closer look:
Rage is an extremely energised state of anger that has been suppressed or accumulated for a while, and it needs a way of release
Rage leads to an adrenalin rush, increased physical ability, increased self-esteem, and reduced rational thinking
The rage episode subsides only after the emotion has been spent.
Typically, rage behaviour includes excessive screaming and swearing, intense verbal attack or abuse, and physical assault.
Now when the rage happens on the road, it becomes ‘road rage’
Road rage per se is not classified as a psychiatric illness. We call this an Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), characterised by extreme expression of anger.

What causes road rage?
In my view, road rage is an illness, an emotional, cognitive, and behavioural illness. But society seems to tolerate road ragers more than criminals, although the consequences of road rage resemble that of crime such as maiming, killing, etc. I believe that society accepts road rage as normal behaviour or a normal outcome of the stress of driving, because we all experience lesser outcomes of road rage commonly, such as finger-pointing, swearing, tailgating, etc.., untill someone gets hurt or killed is when the person is deemed as being a criminal.

Though it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact root cause of road rage, for some people, it can be pure anger based on their background, while for others, it can be the fear response, fear that another person is taking advantage of them, or fear that another person is taking the upper hand in that situation. There are certain situational factors such as unexpected traffic jams that can be stressful when you are not knowing what’s happening, when you feel as if you are not in control.

Jack Katz, an American sociologist, outlines in his book ‘How emotion works’(1999), that the drivers tend to see the car as an extension of themselves, and to move the car through the world you have to embody it, knowing where it is related to others. Considering this statement, we can understand that being in a car, within a bubble it’s really difficult to communicate and understand another driver’s intentions. Now any perceived transgression from another driver becomes a personal insult to the individual, or it’s seen as disrespect. And the individual responds with the thought, “ you didn’t pay attention to me before, and now you certainly will !”.

There is also a dehumanising element to road rage, where in cases of full-blown rage, the drivers tend to have tunnel vision. They don’t see that there is another human being in that other car, and it’s just an object to let your steam off. We also need to understand that road rage is not always about the road at all. Most times, it’s the circumstances in life and other issues that lead up to frustration and anger. Research suggests that certain personality types such as low self-esteem, low self-control, low impulse control are more prone to serious actions during or following road rage experiences.

What to do to prevent road rage?
Everyone goes through different worries and stresses, but we have a choice, the choice to respond. Forget your worries and concentrate on driving.
We cant change the attitudes of other drivers, but we can change our attitudes and perspectives
Be organised and plan your journey to avoid stress and anxiety
Practise relaxation techniques more regularly to manage the situation more calmly.
If provoked, be courteous, calm and don’t do gesturing, sound a horn or flash lights, don’t aggravate the situation
If you are the victim, take note of the vehicle registration number and report it to the police
Remember, its better to get somewhere late than not to get there at all

What to do if you are faced with aggressive behaviour?
Be calm, avoid eye contact and don’t try to aggravate the situation
Do not respond to provocative, disrespectful words or actions
Do anything possible to avoid the conflict

What to do if an aggressive person heads towards you?
Remain in the vehicle, close the windows and lock the doors
Stay calm, do not use any provocative words or gestures and avoid eye contact
If you are in danger, call the police, or draw the attention of other drivers by sounding the horn
Note the vehicle registration number

Road rages can have serious consequences, and if you are a person who loses control in these types of incidents, it’s important to get professional help.

What is your experience of road rage?. Your comments and questions are encouraged. Write to me at innerpeacegy@gmail.com, or if you are struggling with excessive anger or stress, call me ( Anju Vivekanandaraj, MSN., MSc(Clinical Psy), Registered Clinical Psychologist) at 613-9255 for both online and in-person therapy sessions.