You’re running late for an appointment and hit a traffic jam. Or maybe someone cuts you off. How do you respond? Driving can be stressful, but feeling angry when behind the wheel could lead to aggressive driving, distracted driving or even an accident.
What Is Road Rage?
Aggressive driving can take many forms, like tailgating, weaving and speeding. It happens a lot: One survey found that nearly 80 percent of drivers expressed significant anger or aggression behind the wheel at least once over the course of the prior year. The consequences can be serious: Aggressive driving played a role in 56 percent of fatal crashes over a five-year period, according to one analysis.
Here’s what to know about road rage, including tips on staying calm and what to do when confronted with an aggressive driver.
Road Rage Factors
Here are some common factors that often contribute to road rage incidents or aggressive driving behavior.
- Traffic delays
- Heavy traffic, sitting at stoplights, looking for a parking space or even waiting for passengers can increase a driver’s anger level.
- Running late
- Running behind for a meeting or appointment can cause drivers to be impatient.
- Anonymity
- If drivers feel that they probably won’t see other drivers again, they may feel more comfortable engaging in risky driving behaviors like tailgating, cutting people off, excessive honking or making rude gestures.
- Disregard for others and the law
- Some drivers may think the rules don’t apply to them.
- Habitual or learned behavior
- For some drivers, aggressive driving may be the norm.
Most Common Forms Of Road Rage
- Tailgating
- Yelling
- Honking in anger
- Making angry gestures
- Trying to block another vehicle from changing lanes
- Cutting off another vehicle on purpose
- Getting out of the vehicle to confront another driver
- Bumping or ramming another vehicle on purpose
How to Avoid Road Rage
Make sure you have the right car insurance policy to protect yourself from aggressive drivers or if you find yourself the victim of a road rage incident.
Before You Get Behind The Wheel
- Don’t rush. Give yourself time to get where you’re going; you’re less likely to become impatient and take unnecessary risks.
- Cool off. If you’re upset, take time to calm down.
What To Remember When Driving
- Give other drivers a break. If someone is driving slowly, keep in mind they might be lost.
- Use hand gestures wisely. Keep gestures positive—say, waving to a driver who lets you in when merging.
- Don’t tailgate. Always keep a safe distance from the car in front, no matter how slowly they might be driving.
- Lay off the horn. Honking out of frustration won’t solve any problems; it will just increase the stress level for everyone on the road.
- Don’t stop to confront another driver. Stopping could lead to a dangerous situation for everyone.
If Another Driver Acts Aggressively
- Stay away. Safely change lanes, gradually slow down or even exit the highway to keep a safe distance from the aggressive driver.
- Don’t reciprocate. Ignore the temptation to respond to the other driver; it could cause the situation to escalate. Don’t make eye contact.
- Don’t stop. Stopping could lead to a person-to-person confrontation, which could be dangerous.
- Watch your back. If you’re worried that the other driver is following you, keep your doors locked and drive to the nearest police station.
Taking a defensive driving course could help you stay safer on the road; it could also qualify you for a discount on car insurance. Search for a course near you at geico.com.
Read more: Distracted Driving: Here’s Why You Should Pay Attention
Sources 1 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2 AAA Foundation For Traffic Safety 3 Insurance Information Institute
Leigh Parks says,
I live in Florida, where it’s every man for himself driving. Politeness, (letting people go in front of you, not honking your horn the instant the light changes, etc.) is not the norm here. Rudeness is the norm.
I believe our governmental leaders, such as our governor and members of our Congress should speak publicly against aggressive driving. I believe they can set a “mood” or an expectation that people who live in Florida, for example, can try extra hard, and SHOULD try extra hard to be more polite to each other while driving.
If people get out of the habit of “every man for himself” , and into more of a “live and let live” attitude, generosity on the road will have a better chance to flourish. I have driven in many states, among them was the extremely polite State of Vermont, and also believe it or not, Texas. Florida can change its attitude on the road. Its state leaders can step up and help with NO cost to anyone.
Ive says,
I think the dashcams shall become a MUST for every driver.
And this should be synchronized with police, in a way where a rage driver caught on camera, i.e. inappropriate flashing, honking, tailgating, speeding, fingering and whatever, gets his/her license suspended for a MONTH.
And then if caught driving with a suspended license – suspension for a year with a big fine.
Trust me,
after a couple of months the traffic will be much more peaceful. Because unfortunately morons can learn only this way.
Ivan Johnson says,
1. How many of the firearms were illegally possessed firearms? I would bet the vast majority.
2. Road rage is a problem. However this data is over 20 years old.
3. How many incidents were caused by people without a valid US drivers’ license?
Douglas Copeland says,
I would just like to say, I appreciate the 7 ways of road rage article. I will do my best to practice and perfect how I drive. I have been in situations mention, but have come out of them fine. All that matters is a person’s safety and yours, so let’s be more careful and aware instead of being unaware, my teacher once told me” If you fail to try, you try to fail”.
Etamni says,
As a frequent pedestrian and bicyclist, it’s interesting to watch the heads of drivers at traffic lights as they do the “texting bob” — heads looking down at lap (as if cops can’t see this) then check the light, then back at lap, over and over again. Invariably they miss the changing of the light until someone behind them honks the horn.
When I’m driving, my phone is in my pocket and stays there until I reach my destination. No exceptions. If I’m expecting an important call or message, I will pull into a parking lot and check, but never while driving — even at a light.
Defensive driving lesson for people who think it’s OK to text or talk on the phone at traffic lights: You need to be using all of your senses while driving, at all times, and not dividing some portion of your attention to a text or phone call. I SAW an accident where an idiot on a phone saw his light turn green and pulled out right in front of another idiot — also on a phone — who apparently didn’t notice that the vehicle well in front had run a yellow light (late in the cycle) and that the light was now red. Legally, the red-light runner was at fault, and got a ticket, but in my opinion there was plenty of blame for both parties because neither had 100% of their attention on driving safely. BTW, this occurred in a jurisdiction where talking on the cell phone while driving was (and still is) not against the law. Because of their idiocy, both ended up with wrecked cars, insurance claims, and police reports — and others who saw the accident also had to give the police statements as well. I doubt either call was important enough to justify this.
shalom/peace says,
Just do the right thing and if you can’t do that,use what you do have control of -your Steering Wheel and go around…(do unto others)…
HNR says,
I’m quite patient with these Nutty heads, but what does get me, some times, is when I’m driving at correct speed (can’t go any faster..there is car ahead of me too, eh!) and they come in Humongous SUV, the size of a Bus, in the lane on my Left (In the Fast and secured (?) lane, speed up, even though there is No room between them and another SUV in front of them and want to cut right in front of me……there is No Room there either you jerk!! Who is to tell them. I’m OK they dig their…whatever..
Athene says,
This. Right. Here! I live in Texas and these Gigantic trucks and SUVs just come bounding down behind me constantly. Apparently, they think I can fly or something to move faster than the car(s) in front of me. Urgh. Thank goodness for music!
tobey says,
I like this article, but am unsure what a I’m sorry gesture would be??? (We don’t encounter much road rage here in Maine, where car congestion isn’t much of a problem, but occasionally it happens. Thanks GEICO!
Vaughn Crombie says,
GReat ideas, I try to use them all the time, but it puts all the responsibility on the person being harrassed. Vehicles are being designed to intimidate, and they are advertised for this function, car reviews praise aggressive styling and the safety of large vehicles (if we take their advise it just makes the problem worse). Nobody drives a large, aggressive vehicle the way they do a small one. Are insurance companies lobbying for this? Trains are a good idea, we took a commuter in Boston, not bad. We took Amtrak from Louisiana to Boston, bad idea.
Virginia says,
My worst pet peeve is drivers passing on the right before I have a chance to move right.
Jose says,
If they’re passing you on the right then you shouldn’t have been in the left to begin with. Stay in the right unless passing….101.
Peg says,
The train would alleviate ALL of this! When is our country going to get on board and build a fast train that takes people everywhere! Riding the train is leisurely, you can get things done while getting places, and for people like me, for whom driving is stressful (but I have no other viable option) it is a headache and engenders negative feelings which I totally otherwise would not have. The fast train is so past due in the US. Europe has had this forever and China just built one in a surprisingly rapid amount of time.
Dixie says,
Many of these posts here seem to be assuming you are not driving on the interstate, where sometimes frequent lane changes are necessary to stay with a certain route, or to change routes. If you are on the interstate during rush hour, it can be a madhouse, and avoiding road rage isn’t always easy, and there are few simple solutions. If motorists would just allow more time and leave the cell ohone alone, it would solve so many such cases.
Jonathan Pick says,
While all are good causes of road rage, there is one that most people do not think of. How about the drivers who are driving TOO SLOW? You know, the ones that go 20 when the speed limit is 45. They go so slow that they are holding up traffic.
Ivan Johnson says,
Good point. Going too slow is a rarely used citation in most states. We have many city people who have second homes in this rural area. They keep their ancient Volvo in the barn and “drive” it 3 times a year. They become distracted by cell phones, looking for their destination without a modern GPS, making sudden lane changes and turns, and going too slow. Also, about 50% of the people who I have observed in (Traffic) Court do not have a valid US drivers license or any drivers license and cannot speak English. How can they read road signs?
Mike Ruggieri says,
There should be a minimum speed limit , and if a slow driver is caught driving below it, they should be ticketed.
Mike R.
gene says,
What’s your opinion of slower driving, even under the minimum, under less than ideal driving conditions, such as darkness or weather?
RM says,
I have been a licensed driver now for nearly forty years, and I am sorry to say that the quality of driving on an average American highway has gone right into the crapper. I am a rather conservative driver who rarely exceeds the speed limit by more than ten miles per hour, and on a daily basis I encounter a massive amount of stupidity, arrogance and irresponsibility on the highway. I honestly believe that those drivers went to McDonald’s and received a driver’s license after purchasing a big mac and fries. Most of those fools would flunk a defensive driver’s course if they were required to do so. Courtesy on the highway is just about dead.
Morris says,
I love this article on road rage. And i feel this is a topic that should be brought up more in the news media. It’s indeed a very serious issue. We live in a world that is very fast pace and with very little patients. In a matter of seconds someones world can turnt upside down. I not one that likes to rush death so I’m always practicing be patient on this highways. And i hope many others will do the same. Thanks geico for this informative article.