The Age of Rage: Psychology of Rage in Public Places-Driving

Supportive Driving

Road Rage Against Passengers Linda Ure

April 9, 2001, pp 180-183

Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare, by Dr. Leon James & Dr. Diane Nahl, New York: Prometheus Books. 2000.

Drivers and passengers are a small, isolated communities during a commute. The balance of power can become less democratic and more authoritarian as a result; much the same was descriptions of "at home" versus "in public" behaviors emerge.

Bullying a passenger is a form of "domestic violence" extended to the road trip. Like domestic violence, it is an accepted norm that passengers deserve what they get and drivers have a moral right to give it to them.

Ignoring passenger's concerns, verbal abuse, threatening psychologically and physically with an escalating scale of denying comfort breaks or outside communication to dangerous and risk-taking driving behaviors all fall under the autocratic power allocation of passenger terrorism. This is now being considered another form of human rights violation.

Passengers are a captive audience during the violation and often exhibit learned helplessness patterns between violations. These passengers are the children and friends of the driver. These passengers are being taught, and reinforced, to remain helpless or become bullies.

Why does a driver engage in these behaviors. Some are very simple. To make good time. To demonstrate they are the superior driver in a group of drivers. To gain an elevated sense of power and control over their environment. Passengers are an annoying witness and a hindrance to these behaviors and become the victim of retaliation precisely because of their proximity and isolation at the moment. To regain power, no mater how misplaced that power is, becomes the driving force for the driver.

Passengers, from the learned helplessness position, want to believe the incident is isolated and they have expectations that they can "do" something to keep the situation from occurring again--a way to control the driver's mood and actions. This is also misplaced power. When it is impeded, in actuality, the cycle begins again. Remedies have included that reduce the car pool possibilities and result in even more cars on the road. Bullied passengers become terrorizing drivers in a modeling repetition of behaviors learned.

I have a few mental, or even physical options to view the situation. What if your boss was your passenger? Would you drive differently? What if you knew your boss was in the car behind you while you were driving? What if an audio-visual tape was played on the 6:00 o'clock news of your trip today with your identification?

This is reminiscent of the private place becoming the public place. It works for some drivers. But one I like is even more simple. Take a raw egg and place it under your gas pedal. Would it remain unbroken during your trip? Along the same principle, place an uncovered dish of raw egg on your passenger seat and see if it spills or slops during your trip. And remember, you get to clean up the mess if it does. Now, isn't a fellow human just as important as a raw egg's comfort? These tips allow you to visualize possibilities of just how uncomfortable it may be to be in a moving car with no steering wheel to hold on to and now brake to apply. A passenger has all the senses you have to see and hear the cues in traffic, but none of the control to maneuver the same traffic.

Consider, the Kinau ramp almost always backs up on the freeway in the morning. Punahou almost always backs up to Kinau. Might you reconsider leaving a little early and driving in a lane that is not merging with Kinau and Punahou? I bet you can name a similar congestion point, in either direction, at morning or evening that can be remedied by what you do. Try it-today-tomorrow-but soon.

You don't have to be a bully on the road toward other drivers or toward your passengers. You don't have to teach passengers to be afraid or model themselves after your bulling behaviors. Each human is as unique and precious as an egg. Try not to crack any today.

(^_^)