Road Rage: What, Who, When, Where and How?

Abstract

Road rage is a form of aggressive behaviour by drivers on roadways. The paper addresses two questions: firstly, to what extent is road rage related to driver perceptions, characteristics and background? Secondly, how do drivers exhibit road rage? Recent media speculation implies that some drivers are more susceptible to road rage than others. For example, one commercial study indicated that women are increasingly the perpetrators of road rage. Although research of this kind makes good media headlines, there has been little serious scientific attention on this phenomenon. While the potential impacts of road rage are unknown, its major implication for road safety for drivers and others using roadways is apparent. Careful investigation into road rage may provide greater insight into the contributing factors of specific types of road accidents eg. culpable driving. It may also lead to the development of enhanced coping strategies for professional drivers. The focus of this paper is on firstly, the motivating and activating context of road rage and secondly, a theoretical perspective on roadway aggression and the diffusion of this form of travel behaviour.