Aggression in traffic is not a new phenomenon. However, there has lately been a great deal of extremely critical and concerned reaction to aggression in traffic and its possible increase, especially in public opinion. During the last few years there has also been a lot of research by traffic psychologists about this subject. This concerns, on the one hand, road rage (mainly violent traffic behaviour) and, on the other hand, aggressive driving behaviour and other aggressive expressions such as gestures, light flashing, and such like. The phenomenon is explained using various theories about human behaviour. This has lead to various ideas about aggression and, to a lesser extent, about how to tackle it. At the same time, there is increased political pressure to implement an approach to these and other undesirable and damaging traffic behaviour. This exploratory study concerns, on the one hand, finding the leitmotiv in the already generated knowledge and, on the other hand, the conversion of this knowledge into a concrete approach to the problem. Seeing the complexity of the subject, the starting point is that it is essential to build on the already available theoretical knowledge and practical experiences. The line of approach of the project is, however, mainly practical and solution orientated. Points of application for an effective approach are central. A note in this study is that especially the aggressive behaviour on motorways should be central. This is related to the fact that most of the publications about aggression refer to the behaviour of motorists. The activities in this project involve studying the literature and interviewing experts in the various relevant fields.
Abstract