Vehicular Bullying

What do you get when you put a bully behind the wheel of a car? The popular, catchy term for it is “Road Rage”. The popular web site RoadRagers.com has, since 2001, collected and compiled the results of a survey that measures driving styles. According to that survey, with over 11,000 respondents:

• 68% of drivers tailgate other drivers to encourage them to speed up.

• 40% flash their lights to get drivers to move to the right so they can pass.

• 80% use obscene gestures toward other drivers.

• 70% use their horns to signal irritation with other drivers.

• 43% will try to retaliate if someone cuts them off.

• 36% get into conflicts with other drivers.

• 58% feel that all other drivers are complete idiots.

• 72% get angry when another driver does something stupid.

• 58% of drivers who responded are ‘aggressive drivers’.

• 55% have ‘road rage potential’.

While there is no information on how those figures were compiled and how the test was designed, the behaviors above are those that are associated with aggressive drivers – drivers who use their vehicles as an extension of their bullying.

What Is Vehicular Bullying?

According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, vehicular bullying is attempting to intentionally injure or kill another driver as a result of a vehicular incident. Aggressive drivers react negatively and attempt to use their vehicles to retaliate in a traffic dispute by making sudden, threatening maneuvers.

A more subtle form of vehicular bullying that can result in accidents is aggressive driving that is not fueled by anger, but rather by the assumption that the driver is entitled to the right of way, the left lane, the parking spot or anything else that the driver wants. Aggressive drivers tailgate other drivers, cut them off in traffic, weave in and out of traffic and routinely use rude and threatening gestures or shout at other drivers.

Vehicular bullying and aggressive driving are a leading cause of automobile accidents in the United States. According to a survey by the American Automobile Association (AAA), that covered 16 cities, there were in one year alone:

• 10,037 incidents of aggressive driving

• 216 deaths attributed to aggressive driving

• More than 12,610 injuries attributed to aggressive driving

What Causes Vehicular Bullying?

There’s no one particular cause of vehicular bullying, though researchers say that those who are aggressive and bullying in other areas of their lives are more likely to engage in aggressive driving and are more prone to road rage. Aggressive drivers are:

• more impulsive

• More likely to take offense

• Prone to use their vehicles to pressure other drivers. They may flash lights, tailgate, drive too close or cut people off in traffic in retaliation to a perceived slight.

• Drivers say that the reasons for more aggressive driving include being rushed, more traffic congestion, inconsiderate drivers and immature, young drivers.

They also suggest that the potential for aggressive driving to turn into road rage, or trigger road rage rises when a driver is already in a bad mood before getting behind the wheel.

What’s Being Done to Stop Vehicular Bullying?

Based on studies that show that aggressive driving causes accidents and deaths, several states have instituted measures to help reduce vehicular bullying. These range from graduated drivers licenses, raising the age at which drivers can be licenses, educating new drivers about aggressive driving and educating offenders with traffic violations about aggressive driving habits. Overall, the results suggest that a combination of methods seems to work best. Some interventions have shown substantial reductions in traffic incidents and injuries after instituting a comprehensive plan to reduce aggressive driving on their roads. In Massachusetts, for instance, aggressive driving incidents were reduced by 70% the year after the state introduced a measure that required drivers ticked for aggressive driving incidents to take a course on defensive driving.

Are You a Vehicular Bully?

The following are signs of aggressive driving as opposed to assertive driving. Aggressive drivers:

• Tailgate to pressure a driver to go faster or get out of the way.

• Flash lights in order to signal persons to move to another lane.

• Make Obscene gestures

• Change lanes without signaling.

• Blast the horn.

• Frequently change lanes by weaving back and forth.

• Race to beat a yellow light that's about to turn red.

These behaviors are consistent with bullying behaviors among vehicular bullies. They also are each triggers that may set off another vehicular bully.

What to do if you are bullied in an automobile

• Be cautious and courteous. Avoid irritating other drivers.

• Don’t tailgate.

• If you are in the left lane and someone wants to pass, move over and let the driver by.

• Don't make inappropriate hand or facial gestures.

• Use your horn sparingly.

• If you do encounter an angry aggressive driver, don’t make matters worse by triggering a confrontation. Avoid eye contact and steer clear.

• It is a good idea to put as much distance between you and the aggressive driver as possible.