Reports on road rage/aggressive driving imply that most everyone who drives could be involved and affected by such emotions. As victims, witnesses, perpetrators, or protectors, many drivers are confronted with at least some type of aggression and violence on the roadways. Despite inconsistent definitions and subsequent questionable measurements of road rage/aggressive driving, formal social control efforts directed at problematic drivers seem to be the preferred approach for prevention. The present study used newspaper accounts for issue identification regarding the proposed causes of road rage/aggressive driving. It was found that personal/individual factors are more often noted than environmental cues regarding the causes of road rage. In contrast to the more popular crime control approach, a nontraditional application of crime prevention through environmental design, which focuses on traffic facilitation, is offered to address violent and aggressive drivers. (Author/publisher)
Abstract