When you get your driver’s license, your world expands. You no longer have to rely on public transportation or other people to get you from point A to point B but, with that being said, there is also a new world of responsibilities that come along with this life transition. With a driver’s license, you can visit family and friends, uncover your independence, and explore new places. Cars offer freedom, but it comes at a price, like requiring you to have the ability to regulate your emotions.
Road rage is a problem that is alive and well in the United States. Road rage has inspired more serious issues, like significant injuries, property damage, and even death. Many car accidents involve some type of unsafe driving behavior, like “road rage” or aggressive driving. If you find yourself being filled with anger when you drive and participating in rage-motivated, unsafe driving behaviors, it is important to get to the root cause of this issue to resolve it so you can keep yourself and other people on the road safe.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, couples, and families with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
First, what is road rage?
Simply put, road rage is aggressive driving. This form of driving includes confrontational and/or aggressive behavior. The anger or rages that ensues due to driving can be caused by the actual or imagined transgression of another driver on the same road as you. It can also include hostile verbal exchanges, interpersonal violence, and breed further unsafe driving.
Road rage is not considered an official mental health diagnosis or illness, but road rage is typically associated with hostile and aggressive thinking which can be caused by a mental health condition. If you experience anger regularly, it can cause more anger, anxiety, and impulsiveness.
Mental health concerns and high levels of stress can contribute to road rage. In other words, the life challenges that you are facing off the road can lead to aggression while driving, causing you to make risky maneuvers and other dangerous behaviors. If you are feeling overwhelmed, check out our blog “Everything You Need To Know About Stress Management Therapy.”
Some common forms of road rage include:
Honking in anger
Making angry or rude gestures
Tailgating
Yelling
Cutting off another vehicle on purpose
Trying to block another car from changing lanes
Bumping or ramming another car on purpose
Getting out of the car to confront another driver on the road
While the terms “aggressive driving” and “road rage” are both dangerous things to do and we often use the terms interchangeably, there is a legal distinction between the two. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), aggressive driving is a traffic violation. Aggressive driving happens when you commit a mixture of moving traffic violations that jeopardize people and/or property. The NHTSA defines road rage as a criminal offense. This type of criminal offense is caused by aggressive driving which morphs into an assault with a vehicle or other risky weapon.
In a high-pressure driving situation, it may be normal to experience road rage. For example, let us say that you are running a little late and trying to get to work on time for a major presentation, but there is a lot of traffic. There are several factors here, like running late and traffic, that can affect your mood. However, if you have constant feelings of road rage where public safety is impacted, recognizing this and taking a step back is key.
What are high-anger and low-anger drivers?
Nobody enjoys sitting in traffic. If you drive a lot, you are likely familiar with the feeling of frustration for every other driver on the road. You may even feel like other drivers are driving in a frustrating way on purpose, out to ruin your day. Maybe you have even entertained or acted on certain fantasies of yours, like cutting a person off or tailgating.
Depending on where you live or drive the most, the roads can get very crowded. The truth is that there are a lot of bad drivers out there, but not everyone you come across on the road is a horrible driver while you are perfect. Road rage is a scary situation for everyone involved.
While the research on road rage is ongoing, the American Psychological Association (APA) has drawn some conclusions.
Here are some common research findings from the APA regarding road rage:
Road rage is most likely to occur amongst young men
Displaced anger and high stress levels can contribute to road rage
Environmental factors, like crowded roads, can boost road rage
People who experience road rage are more likely to engage in harmful behaviors with alcohol and drugs
High-anger drivers are people who tend to engage in unsafe driving behaviors more than the average person. On the other hand low-anger drivers are individuals who rarely (if at all) experience anger while driving.
In order to prevent road rage, it is important to know what causes it.
According to the APA, the following are prominent distinctions between high-anger drivers and low anger-drivers:
High-anger drivers take more risks while driving.
For example, they often go 10 MPH or 20 MPH over the speed limit, switch lanes quickly, tailgate other drivers, or even enter an intersection once the light has already turned red.
High-anger drivers get angry at a faster rate than low-anger drivers.
They also have a tendency to behave more aggressively, such as calling other drivers on the road names, swearing, or honking their car horn in anger. High-anger drivers are more likely to feel angry throughout the day, not just when they are behind the wheel of a car.
High-anger drivers often think in hostile and aggressive ways.
They may express disbelief about other drivers on the road or insult other people’s driving abilities or even the person themself. Their thoughts can turn into revenge which sometimes results in physical harm.
In driving simulations, high-anger drivers have had double the amount of car accidents when compared to low-anger drivers.
High-anger drivers also receive more tickets for speeding.
High-anger drivers have more traits of anger, anxiety, and impulsiveness.
High-anger drivers are more likely to enter the car already angry which could be resulting from home or work stress. Short-fused drivers are more likely to outwardly express their anger which may lead them to acting impulsively.
Why do I feel road rage?
When you are in your car, you may feel like you are in your own little bubble. You are comfortable adjusting the heat or air conditioning to your liking and playing your favorite tunes or podcast. When you are in this space, it can be easy to forget that there are other people on the road with different priorities than you.
There is a tendency to be way more mean to people on the road than you would be if you were meeting them face-to-face. There are a few factors that contribute to this, but one of the main reasons is simply forgetting that people have differences. You may be honking relentlessly at the person driving in front of you without knowing that they are a teen who just got their driver’s license. This phenomenon of road rudeness is similar to how some people are met with a high degree of hostility online while this would never be the case in-person.
Everyone gets frustrated by traffic which leads to people making some risky maneuvers with their cars that can trigger anger from other fed-up drivers. This typically ends up in a serious case of road rage where the health and safety of everyone on the road is threatened.
The following are an example of some additional factors that may contribute to road rage incidents or aggressive driving:
Running late - When you are running late for an appointment or meeting, you may be more impatient on the road than usual
Traffic delays - Sitting at a stoplight, stuck on the highway in bumper-to-bumper traffic, looking for a parking spot, or even waiting for passengers can increase your anger while driving
Habitual or learned behavior - Aggressive may be the norm for you, especially if you grew up watching a parental figure or guardian drive that way
Anonymity - If you feel like you would never see another driver again, you may feel more comfortable engaging in risky behavior, such as making rude gestures, cutting people off, or excessively honking your car horn
Disregard for other people and the law - You may think that the rules do not apply to you
Can an anger management therapist help me with my road rage and/or aggressive driving?
Absolutely! Anger management counselors are trained to utilize numerous therapeutic techniques and strategies to help you address and manage your anger-related issues.
At Anchor Therapy, we have anger management therapists who serve all residents of New Jersey, including Bergen County, Jersey City, and Montclair. Our anger specialists also serve New York and Florida residents. In addition to offering anger therapy in our downtown Hoboken, New Jersey office, we also conveniently offer online anger management counseling for those who prefer reaping the benefits of teletherapy sessions.
Here are some ways an anger management counselor at Anchor Therapy can help you feel like your best self again:
Trigger identification:
Our therapists work with you to pinpoint specific triggers that you may be experiencing that cause your road rage. From traffic congestion to personal stressors, there are many factors that may be influencing your behavior on the road. Once you know what your triggers are, you and your anger counselor can work on developing coping strategies to deal with these triggers in a healthy way.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
When it comes to changing negative thought patterns and behaviors, CBT tends to be a first-line treatment option. Your CBT therapist will work to help you change your irrational thoughts surrounding driving and find better ways to analyze and respond to your given driving situation. For more information on CBT, check out our blog “What is CBT?”.
Relaxation techniques:
From deep breathing and meditation to a mindfulness-based counseling approach, relaxation-inducing activities can help you reduce your anger and better manage your stress levels.
Communication skills:
By improving your communication skills, you may prevent things from escalating while on the road. Your therapist may teach you how to be assertive without being aggressive and general effective communication tips which will give you the opportunity to express your needs without anger. Read our blog “6 Ways To Set Boundaries and Enforce Them” for more information.
Empathy development:
Trying to understand the situations of other drivers can reduce your tendency for anger on the road. Your road rage therapist may walk you through perspective-taking skills or exercises that assist in developing empathy. That way, you will be able to see one situation through numerous lenses.
Stress Management:
As discussed before, stress plays a big role in road rage as aggressive driving behaviors are often worsened due to a high volume of worry. Your stress therapist can teach you stress management techniques and coping skills that can be applied to your driving situations and other occurrences in daily life too.
Role-Playing and Behavioral Exercises:
By engaging in role-playing or behavioral exercises with your CBT counselor, you are given the chance to choose an alternative way of responding to a triggering situation on the road. This will help you build new habits and discover new coping strategies.
For more information, our blog “The Most Important Things You Need To Know About Anger Management” is a must-read.
Road rage is a common problem but, by working on yourself, you can be a part of the solution. A therapist for road rage will get to the root cause of your road rage and aggressive driving behaviors while also helping you craft a solution to your anger. You will have to experiment with different techniques, such as CBT or meditation, to figure out what works for you but, at Anchor Therapy, you have a highly-trained anger management counselor by your side who is going on the journey with you.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
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