Road Rage

Road rage is any spontaneous, assaultive behavior arising from instances of aggressive driving, traffic annoyances, and/or altercations that begin on roadways or parking lots. Examples of roadway annoyances can include, but are not limited to, arguments, threats, rivalry over parking spaces, inappropriate lane changes, tailgating, speeding, interference of lane changes, slow driving, and horn honking. In other words, road rage occurs when drivers perpetrate acts that annoy or threaten to injure or damage property of another driver or passenger as a result of a roadway incident. Road rage encompasses elements of violence or threats of violence as well as potential and real property damage to other motorists and passengers. Similarly, research on aggression contends that trivial matters have the capability to escalate into physical confrontations that could lead to serious injury of one of the parties involved.

Road rage refers to spur-of-the-moment violence between strangers, which is a salient dynamic between the aggressor and the victim. The reference to strangers highlights an important dimension: it filters out individuals who may have a violent outburst due to a preexisting relationship rather than a suddenly discovered dissatisfaction with each other's driving conduct. A central characteristic of road rage is that the aggressor's target is initially anonymous. Furthermore, the anonymity of the highway as well as the privacy of the car can stimulate further actions. The relative anonymity, ease of escape, and mobility of the automobile offers some drivers the temptation to victimize others on the road. Although the target of a road rage incident is not known initially, only one of the targets has to be the driver of a vehicle. The road rage incident may take place between (a) two drivers; (b) a driver and passenger(s) of either vehicle; (c) a driver and a pedestrian; and (d) a driver and a cyclist. Occasionally, it is passengers who take on the mantle of outrage.

The definition of road rage encompasses the dimensions of violence and anonymity of drivers (and/or passengers), and it also may include the threat or destruction of property. The drivers may use obscene [Page 792]language or gestures, flash headlights at others, tailgate, change lanes, and/or steal parking spaces from other drivers. Because destruction of property is a potential result, it is important to note that not all road rage incidents occur on the road; some incidents may arise “off the road” in parking lots and continue on the roadway. However, violent altercations stemming from a dispute over a parking space also take place in parking lots. At this time, eight states have aggressive driving statutes.