Road Rage: Where to Go?

Abstract

Road rage is a deeply rooted social problem and has become a common phenomenon among road users. Over 85% of New South Wales (NSW) drivers interviewed reported of being a victim of various forms of road rage while this figure is even higher in Brisbane with 95% [1]. Nine out of ten US drivers believe aggressive drivers pose a threat to their personal safety while 78% of the drivers report of engaging in aggressive driving at least once in 2014 AAAFTS [2]. The fact that road rage and aggressive driving is rated above drink driving as the biggest safety concern reveals the seriousness of the issue. Road rage can be defined as any hostile act conducted by a road user towards another road user on the roadway, including parking lots. These acts involve extreme forms of aggression like physically assaulting road users (both driver/passenger), vehicles or both. Road rage has become an easy medium to express anger, frustration, and the annoyance of everyday conflicts and disagreements on situations arising both on and off the roadway due to power, ease of escape, anonymity, and protection associated with vehicles.