Stifle driving aggression

You can’t control the anger and aggression of other drivers, but you can and should regulate your own.  Statistics show that aggressive driving is the root cause of over half of all motor vehicle accidents, so curbing those tendencies makes sense.

The relative anonymity, comfort and isolation enjoyed by drivers behind the wheel regularly spawn aggression toward others sharing the roadway.  That fact, combined with often irrational time issues, leads some drivers to mentally condemn other drivers, verbally abuse them, or even physically retaliate via fits of road rage.

Real or perceived unfair treatment from fellow drivers can affect anyone adversely.  How you deal with drivers who fail to yield you the right of way, hold you up by driving slowly, or tailgate you when you’re driving at the speed limit makes a difference.

As I implied earlier, seemingly innocuous mental or verbal condemnation is a first step of undue aggression — it represents an attitude that regularly leads to chasing other drivers, threatening them or worse.

I’ve stated a few times in the past that when I encounter drivers making errors or being thoughtless, careless or reckless, I try to figure out why they may be driving that way.  For example, if a driver is constantly weaving I may surmise that he or she has been drinking.  Or if a driver pulls out in front of me and goes slowly, I may guess that they are elderly or medically challenged.  When a driver races through a residential area at 50 mph, I might conclude that he or she is simply a moron.  I suppose that last one is mental condemnation of the driver, but I try to think it in good humor.

While road rage is the most severe manifestation of driver aggression, many other common behaviors qualify as aggressive.  Racing, tailgating, failing to see or heed signage and road rules, and seeking/initiating confrontation of any kind are examples.

Speeding is the most common form of aggressive driving and is a factor in about one-third of all accidents.  Continuous lane changing on the freeway is a product of speeding and one way that police officers detect excess speed.  I can assure you from riding with Washington State Patrol Troopers that they watch for that telltale sign (constant lane changing) indicating drivers who are operating their vehicles at a speed greater than the average flow of traffic.

It’s good to know that approximately 80 percent of drivers, according to an American Automobile Association study, consider aggressive driving to be a serious problem.  Unfortunately, some of those drivers probably still exhibit aggressive tendencies at certain times.  Nevertheless, it’s good that only 20 percent don’t consider aggression to be a problem — try to stay out of that group, as those drivers are unlikely to ever recognize the warning signs of aggression and subdue its escalation.

AAA also has a quiz to assess your anger issues with other drivers.  It asks whether you get angry at them never, sometimes, often or always.  Nine other questions determine how often you get angry when drivers:  drive too fast, drive too slow, cut you off, or tailgate.  If you answer “sometimes” to those questions, be aware of your potential aggression; if you answer “often” or “always,” work to change your outlook.

Besides attitudes toward other drivers, the quiz asks if you react with anger over other driving tribulations such as:  untimely stoplights, traffic jams, or highway narrowing.  It even questions if you are ever told to calm down by passengers or wield anger at them.

Anger clouds one’s ability to think rationally — when it intensifies, dire consequences often result.  Driving your vehicle properly and interacting with others safely requires a calm, level-headed demeanor.  If you are angry, that’s not possible.

The Washington State Patrol defines aggressive driving as, “The commission of two or more moving violations that is likely to endanger other persons or property, or any single intentional violation that requires a defensive reaction of another driver.”

Please stifle your anger when driving.  By the same token, don’t interact with angry drivers — if confronted, keep driving, avoid contact, don’t retaliate, and stay calm!

Readers may contact Bill Love via e-mail at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.