Characteristics of Aggressive Driving:

The words, "aggressive driving," emerged during the 1990s as a label for a
category of dangerous on-the-road behaviors. The category comprises:
Following too closely
Driving at excessive speeds
Weaving through traffic
Running stop lights and signs
Aggressive driving occasionally escalates to gesturing in anger or yelling at
another motorist, confrontation, physical assault and even murder. "Road Rage"
is the label that emerged to describe the angry and violent behaviors at the
extreme of the aggressive driving continuum.
Graduating From Traffic Violation to Criminal Offense:
The NHTSA defines aggressive driving as, "The operation of a motor vehicle in
a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property."
An important distinction is that aggressive driving is a traffic violation, while
road rage, aside from the yelling and gesticulating, is a criminal offense.
Contributing Factors To Aggressive Driving:
Experts suggest many reasons for the increase in aggressive driving and road rage.
Sociologists suggests it is due to the breakdown in our society's sense of
community and a disintegration of shared values.
Psychologists point to the intoxicating combination of power and anonymity
provided by motor vehicles.
Traffic engineers tend to believe the problem is due to inconsistent driving speeds
among travelers.
Traffic Congestion:
Traffic congestion is one of the most frequently mentioned contributing factors to
aggressive driving. Drivers with low tolerances for traffic delays might respond by
following too closely, changing lanes frequently, or becoming angry at anyone
who impedes their progress.
Running Late:
Some people drive aggressively because they have too much to do and are
running late for work, school, their next meeting, lesson, soccer game, or other
appointment.
Many otherwise law-abiding citizens often justify speeding when running late,
almost as they would a medical emergency. Speeding because one is running
late to pick up a waiting child or getting an elderly parent to a doctor's
appointment is often deemed as okay in the minds of even some of the safest
drivers.
Anonymity:
A driver can develop a sense of anonymity and detachment when insulated within
the privacy of a vehicle. Tinted windows further detach drivers, aiding to the
misconception of being an observer of the surroundings, rather than a participant.
The anonymity for some may provoke antisocial behavior unseen in other normal
interaction they experience with others. Combine this with having the power of a
motor vehicle and the knowledge that it is unlikely they will ever be seen again by
those they offend and the result can be extreme rudeness and even turn an
otherwise nice person into a dangerous, raging individual.
Disregard for Others and for the Law:
Much has been written about the erosion of shared values and respect for
authority, variously attributed to the fragmentation of the extended family,
increased individual mobility, media influence, and other characteristics of
modern society.
It does appear that civility and respect for authority has decreased, the trend
epitomized by the phrase, "I'm just looking out for number one."
Habitual Or Clinical Behavior:
Most motorists rarely drive aggressively, and some never at all. For others,
episodes of aggressive driving are frequent, and for a small proportion of
motorists it is their usual driving behavior.
Occasional episodes of aggressive driving might occur in response to specific
situations, such as speeding and changing lanes abruptly when late for an
important appointment, when it is not the driver's normal behavior.
Among the chronic aggressive drivers there are those who learned the driving
style and consider it appropriate, and others who may have learned to drive
properly, but for whom the behavior is an expression of illness.
Clearly, it is a matter of degree and not all anger is uncontrolled, or even
inappropriate, that is, it is not the anger, but what a person does about it that
matters (e.g., anger that motivates a person to call the police when encountered
on the road by an obviously impaired or dangerously aggressive driver). However,
chronic anger, habitual or persistent aggressive driving, and especially a pattern
of confrontation on the road, must be considered manifestations of pathology, in
addition to violations of the law.
Summary
If it seems that there are more cases of rude and outrageous behavior on the
road now than in the past, the observation is correct, if for no other reason
than there are more drivers driving more miles on the same roads than ever
before.

Road rage occurs when drivers get so frustrated with the actions of
other vehicles that they act out with anger and aggression. Drivers
who exhibit road rage often express themselves with profanity,
colorful hand gestures or constant horn honking. Sometimes they
feel that other vehicles are needlessly putting them and their
passengers in danger. Other times the anger simply comes from
annoyance and frustration at a situation. No matter where road rage
comes from, getting angry behind the wheel of a car can be
hazardous to everyone on the road. We've decided to list the top five
habits that cause drivers to go over the edge and let the rage
consume them.
Tailgating
Tailgating occurs when one vehicle gets too close to the rear bumper
of the vehicle they are following. Lack of distance between two
traveling vehicles, especially at high speeds, can cause collisions and
serious injuries. For good reason, drivers get upset when they
discover someone behind them is following too closely. Even the
slightest slow down in traffic can cause the rear vehicle to collide with
the front one, causing neck injuries and multiple-car pile ups. Drivers
are often unable to do anything in this situation other than get angry.
Getting Cut-Off
Few incidents on the road are more aggravating than being cut-off
by a reckless driver. Cut-offs can cause serious accidents if the
vehicle being cut is not driving defensively. Not only that, but a driver
who cuts-off another driver displays a complete disregard for
standards of politeness, safety or courtesy on the road. This type of
violation can be infuriating when you're the victim. The incident can
feel like a personal violation of privacy and respect.
Slow Drivers
Most people on the road are driving with purpose in mind. Old ladies
driving in the fast lane, people slow to start at a green light, and slow
pokes on one lane roads are enough to infuriate even patient drivers.
It's not uncommon to find drivers screaming at the vehicles ahead of
them to "move it" or "get out of the way." They do this even if the
drivers ahead of them can't hear a word they're saying. The lack of
respect for other people's time is what angers most drivers most.
Heavy Traffic
One of the reasons that traffic causes so much anger is because
there is almost nothing drivers can do about it. Heavy traffic takes up
valuable time that can be used for more fruitful activities: spending
time with family, enjoying a nice meal or reading a book. This loss of
time understandably upsets a lot of people caught in the congestion.
Most traffic is caused by too many cars being on the roads, but few
people realize their own contribution to the traffic when they get angry.
When people yell at traffic, they are yelling at themselves as much as
everyone else.
Stop Sign Etiquette
Anyone who has stared down another driver at a four-way stop
knows how frustrating stop-sign intersections can be. In the
everlasting fight to be more courteous than the other driver, many
people enter a prolonged and frustrating stalemate at stop signs that
never seems to end. As one car starts to inch forward, so does the
other, and the stalemate continues. It's no mystery that drivers who
display road rage tendencies often blow through stop signs altogether.