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Road Rage: A
Prevalent ProblemStudy participants indicated that road rage is an important issue. Almost all participants stated
that they had witnessed road rage on Alabama's roadways. However, most said that they had not been a victim of road rage. Most
male and female participants felt they were frequently aggravated and put at risk by other drivers' actions. Only the 16-24
age group indicated that they do drive aggressively; other age groups responded affirmatively when surveyed about their driving
practices and encounters with aggressive drivers. When participants said that they did drive aggressively, they claimed
they did so for good reason. Fifty percent of the surveyed females in the 75-year-old and up age group felt that any means
to defend themselves in a road rage incident is acceptable. The causes of road rage remain debatable, but some possible
explanations are summer heat, traffic congestion, faster pace of life, and general lack of common courtesy. Other possible
causes are job stress, the driving practices of sport-utility drivers, and the use of cell phones. In each age group,
the participants favored strong enforcement of traffic laws to reduce road rage. Most felt aggressive driving goes unpunished. According
to the study, most people were undecided who they believe is most often targeted by aggressive male and female drivers. However,
there was little support that males targeted females and females targeted males with their aggression. A slightly higher number
felt that females targeted other females. Alabama ranks third in the nation in the number of deaths per mile traveled
at 13.7n deaths per 100,000 miles. Violent behavior is often a result of a particular mindset: not wanting to waste time,
blocking the competition, and punishing the other driver. The latter often leads to road rage.
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