Why the Rise in Road Rage?

There was a report the other day about a huge increase in road rage incidents across the United States, including here in California.

From tailgating and horn honking to cutting off other drivers, yelling, making obscene gestures and sometimes confrontation and violence, including shootings. The report includes some mental health experts offering up some reasons for the rise in road rage.

One clinical psychologist says while there is no one factor for road rage, psychology plays a role…saying some drivers engage in what’s called aggressive anger rumination, the more upset they become and the more they engage in road rage behavior. These people may already have anger problems.

And then there is a social psychologist who blames the road rage rise on one of the effects of the more than two years of living with the pandemic. He calls the theory…the frustration-aggressive hypothesis. He says, “Frustration is defined as blocking goal-directed behavior and the long pandemic has blocked many goals for many people.”

Among the solutions? Stronger criminal penalties, more education and of course better treatment for mental and emotional health problems.

And the author of a book called “Road Rage: Assessment and Treatment of the Angry, Aggressive Driver” suggests "it’s important to keep one’s own stress levels low, practice relaxation tips like deep breathing or counting to 10 — and if it’s not working, pulling over."

READ MORE about road rage report.

(Photo Getty Images)