`Road rage' has recently been drawn to the public attention, and covers a variety of behaviours, ranging from specific incidents of roadside assault, or even murder, to any display of driver aggression. It is at present difficult to estimate the numbers of injuries and deaths due to driver aggression, and estimates of numbers of `road rage' cases tend to be based on extrapolation from small surveys. There are several reasons why driving may be more likely than walking to lead to anger. Research suggests that anger is the emotion that people are least able to control, but individual's tendency to display aggression vary enormously. Driver aggression must be addressed in much wider terms than road rage. Many environmental variables can provoke aggression or make it more likely, under certain circumstances. Mood can greatly influence driver behaviour, but it is not easy to identify potential aggressors. Several approaches to 'curing' 'road rage' are outlined.
Abstract