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
Robin says,
I think most people in road rage situations are on the edge before the get behind the wheel. all it take is something small to put them over the edge. Its a problem that started when they were children. Children who were paddled have self control. Children who weren’t displine paddled don’t have control over there aggressive emotions. Which result in road rage. The bible says spare the rod spoil the child.
Manuel Enos says,
It is really hard to give some drivers the benefit of the doubt…One thing to remember is they did not have to get out on the road and endanger other people’s lives due to their own inadequacies. Recently my wife an I were involved in an accident that could have been prevent had the other drive used common sense instead of hurrying through an intersection to crash in to my vehicle . I am 72 years young and that was the first accident of my life!!
John says,
I train in the martial arts and it helps me with stressful situations like dealing with road rage. I look at this way, It’s not what people do or say to you, it’s how you react to it. Keep a cool head,take deep breathes if you have to, you can’t control what other people do. Avoid confrontation, there stupidity will catch up with them,remember it’s not worth it.
Doris Hellermann says,
The most consistently annoying problem is the driver ahead of me who drives the same speed as the vehicle in the lane to the right of us and both vehicles seem oblivious to the other. I will start feeling the road rage and then start consciously talk myself back into calmness. It’s not easy to remain calm if the situation persists for many miles.
The scariest problem is the driver who comes up from behind out of nowhere and passes me on the left or the right, wherever there’s a small space, and zooms ahead of me, weaving his way from lane to lane to get through the traffic. I’ve seen this multiple times on the long bridge across the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, where there are four lanes in each direction. These scary drivers go all the way from the far right lane to the far left lane in heavy traffic. With traffic moving at 70 to 80 miles an hour (sometimes faster in the far left lane), I can only imagine how fast these scary drivers must be going. I hope they are not hurrying to their own funeral.
Dena says,
No matter the reasons people want to use to validate their road rage, it is simply a dangerous and unacceptable type of behavior. No one has a right to endanger the lives of others by getting behind the wheel and driving erractically and irresponsibly. There is no slow or fast lane and we can all see that no such titles are written in any lane on the roads indicating that a lane is a slow or fast lane. If the posted speed limit says 65, the speed limit is not specific to just the right lane. It is the speed limit for all lanes. The left lane is not an exception to the rule or is to be used to speed, tailgate, etc. This goes for motorcyclist as well. Simply put, if you can’t drive responsibly and without endangering the lives of others, stay off the roads or one day, you may wished you had.
mach says,
I hate drivers who selfishly drive slow in the fast lane,and when you get behind them they refuse to get over,and they cause the traffic to back up.I believe that these people are the cause of many accidents as other drivers are forced to slow down or stop abruptly .With that being said , there is no excuse for road rage,we must remain calm and hope these idiots will get a ticket or learn from the dmv that this is a poor driving habit.We can’t take the law into our own hands because it will make the situation worse.Be patient and go around the slow driver when its safe.
earl says,
Speed kills, as well as drivers that are always in a hurry. Be more considerate of others and stop being so self centered. Patience is a virtue that so few of us possess. Remember road rage hurts only the driver that gets upset, not the ones that don’t.
George says,
People that TEXT while driving have the IQ of aa HOSEPLANT! I was walking behind a girl who was so busy texting that she walked slap into a telephone pole and wound up on the sidewalk. . THANK GOD she was not behind the wheel of a car!…
George says,
HOUSEPLANT.. (I learn how to type next week! Sorry
chris says,
I like hoseplant better.
MJSullivan says,
I prefer to keep at least a 2 car length cushion in congested driving areas.
I am aware of the speed limit, and do not go more that 5 mph over it. I anticipate, and move into the lane I need when I am turning — sometimes I am compelled to move into the appropriate lane well in advanced because of other drivers’ actions. I move in such a way as to maintain (as much as possible) the cushion around myself.
I wear a go pro camera at all times now. Tailgaters, I see, and watch carefully. I make no attempt to get out of their way; they are going to use absurd and unsafe driving techniques to get around. They always do. To “get out of their way” runs the risk of an accident with them when they unexpectedly change lanes as you do.
Childish behavior is dangerous when driving.
People seem to forget that driving is a privilege, not a right.
There are too many people driving on suspended licenses, or no licenses; with no insurance, and in poorly maintained cars. I cannot anticipate what the other driver is going to do; nor whether he is in compliance with the driving laws; nor whether he has an acceptably maintained vehicle. I just stay the course, as this is the safest thing to do.
Deborah says,
Like your comment. Will look up go pro camera to see what it is.
Donna says,
I disagree completely with the comments from people enraged when their desire to speed is thwarted. Stating the obvious — in most areas, the posted speed limit was set by a highway expert as the safe speed for that road. Therefore, your demand is be allowed to go 20 miles over it and put everyone on the road at risk is ridiculous narcissism.
That said, if I want to drive the speed limit, I leave the left lane open, as it should be. Sometimes, slower is safer. For example, GEICO’s article on this site on how to avoid collisions with deer suggests slowing down at the most hazardous times of day.
Speeding drivers should consider whether the slow driver has a reason to be going slow — perhaps he or she saw a hazard that you haven’t seen or perhaps he or she knows that animals or children cross that road.
chris says,
I was going 5 under the speed limit of 70 one evening sure enough a deer jumped in the road. That 5 helped me miss the deer.
Myra G. Jackson says,
Thanks for this timely article. I see so much if it in FL. I practice all these suggestions and keep hoping they will continue to keep me safe. The things that I learned in driving school many years ago I try never to forget.
craigster says,
So is it road rage when some idiot who has just passed me, cuts me off and gets in front of me, so close i can see their nose hairs in their rear view mirror, and I blow the horn at them? They have caused this by cutting me off, if they had to stop suddenly, they would be eating my engine.
Alex says,
It sounds like maybe you were sitting in the left lane instead of using it to pass and get out of the way. People should not respond in the way you described, but don’t be surprised if they do if you don’t follow the law and use the left lane for passing only.
T Keller says,
Having escaped a couple of run-ins with enraged drivers, I’ve taken a softer approach over the past few years. I regularly let people merge in when it doesn’t interfere with the flow of traffic, or let another driver into my lane in front, with a friendly wave and “go ahead” signal. Most wave back, appreciating the time savings, and seem to move on at a normal pace. It definitely calms me down when I do it, and makes me feel like I’ve done something for someone that day. Not sure, but maybe even keeps someone from going ballistic later.
Deborah says,
it’s called “Courtesy of the road”; an art that seems to have lost popularity. Thank you T Keller for keeping it alive!
Dali Burgado says,
Excellent tip!
R F Singleton says,
I agree with your comments. It is a kind of ‘Do unto others as you’d like them to do unto you’ message. So it might put you one car length back, but that sort of ‘warm feeling’ that comes from that ‘Thank You’ wave you mentioned tends to add to your relaxation at the time of traffic stress.
Johnny says,
Sounds like almost every one of you has some anger issues. Maybe try an anger management class or take public transport.
Barry Crouse says,
Best policy when somebody is tailgating you is pull over and let them pass (of course this is not highways). If you are going roughly 30 mph you should have 3-5 seconds between you and the person driving behind you. Studies have shown the brain takes 1.5 seconds to process and another 1.5 seconds to react 3 seconds. This was based on Ohio driving but do to the “POT LAWS” in Washington state you probably need 5 seconds instead of 3 second rule per 10 mph.