Driving would be a lot easier if we could leave our emotions out of the equation. However, we are humans and humans are emotional. The most dangerous obstacle that comes into play is road rage.

Road rage comes from many different places.

• Being in a hurry – A person who was running late get agitated very quickly. He or she is already stressing out because they are not where they are supposed to be. So when that person runs into a red lights, slow traffic, someone in front of them driving slowly, etc. they tend to react quickly and more angrily.
• Having a bad day – Getting into your car after having a bad day at school or work can be dangerous. When you get behind the wheel and you are already angry you are setting yourself up to make poor decisions and to react to certain situations differently than you normally would.
• Traffic jam – Traffic jams are no fun for anyone. They can be frustrating, stressful and can push a person who is already stressed out over the edge. Traffic jams are unpredictable because they can last 10 minutes or sometimes hours. Road rage increases greatly in the middle of a traffic jam because everyone is frustrated.
• Construction – Many times people run into construction unexpectedly. Sometimes the construction is set up while that person is at work or something happen during the day requiring the construction to be taken care of quickly. No matter the reason construction usually slows traffic down and frustrates people who are trying to get home.

Road rage is very dangerous and can cause people to react in ways that is abnormal for their normal personality. People who are normally calm and rational do irrational and dangerous things when road rage comes into play. A person with road rage can cause an accident.

To combat road rage a person needs to be aware of how they are feeling, while they are driving. Signs of road rage include, but are not limited to: white knuckles on the steering wheel, swearing, weaving in and out of traffic, tightness in either the shoulders and/or stomach, a very strong sense of urgency and just the overall feeling of being angry.

A person realizing they are angry behind the wheel needs to: get off the road for a little bit, take some deep breaths and slow down, realize they are not in control, try to let go of that anger so they can get home safely.

Road rage usually comes from a buildup of stressors in that person’s life. Most people do not have road rage after getting cut off one time or getting stuck in one traffic jam. However, if you find that you are getting angry every time you are behind the wheel you might want to consider getting some help with dealing with that anger. You do not want to be the one who causes an accident because of road rage.