Road Rage

Term Paper # 99849

Psychology
Sociology

Road Rage

This paper explores road rage and methods of prevention and control.

2,466 words () | 8 sources | APA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the prevalence, risk factors and natural history of aggression on the road. The paper looks at the need for medications for managing impulsive and aggressive behavior patterns when these result from a personality disorder. The paper relates, however, that the most effective interventions for prevention and control of road rage are cognitive and behavioral. The paper concludes that a program of public education on road rage is needed, beginning with driver education and later including public health and mental health interventions.

From the Paper:

"According to Smart, et al. (2003), almost one in ten Ontario residents have been threatened with personal injury or damage to their vehicles as a result of road rage. Road rage refers to "attempts that drivers make to threaten, injure or even kill other drivers during or after unpleasant driving experiences" (Smart, et al., 2003, p. 247). Road rage is linked with collisions or near collisions. While one-half of drivers encountered shouts or rude gestures, only seven percent were actually threatened (Smart, et al., 2003). In the course of one year in the United States, there may be as many as 400 billion hostile exchanges between motorists, and any of these incidents of road rage can result in serious injury or death. Incidents of aggression on the road have been estimated to have increased more than 50 percent between 1990 and 1996, and result in thousands of injuries as well as more than 200 deaths per year (Sharkin, 2004)."

Sample of Sources Used:

Fong, G., D. Frost & Stansfeld, S. (2001). Road rage: A psychiatric phenomenon? Social Psychiatry, Psychiatric Epidemiology, 36, 277-286.
Jerome, L., A. Segal & Quinn, D. (2006). Re: Motivation and mechanism in motor vehicle collisions. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 51 (7), 476.
Lawton, R. & Nutter, A. (2002). A comparison of reported levels and expression of anger in everyday and driving situations. British Journal of Psychology, 93 (3), 407-424.
McGarva, A., M. Ramsey & Shear, S. (2006). Effects of driver cell-phone Use on driver aggression. The Journal of Social Psychology, 146 (2), 133-147.
Sharkin, B. (2004). Road rage: Risk factors, assessment, and intervention strategies. Journal of Counseling and Development, 82 (2), 191-199.