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Road Rage: Effects on Society

The road is full of aggressive and inept drivers. To most people, it is a nuisance that leads to minor frustration or the occasional profanity behind the wheel. However, there are some individuals who go beyond the "one finger salute" and resort to severe violence. Their behavior is reprehensible enough, but what they do not realize is the effect that road rage has on society. Understanding how everyone suffers is good first step in curbing road rage.

  1. Assault and Injury

    • Road rage is an act committed in anger, and violence may result. According to the AAA Foundation, violence can erupt over very trivial things. Even small disputes like fender benders are known to have resulted in people being shot, stabbed, beaten up and run over. Of course, assault is not limited to physical attacks. Verbal abuse is common with road rage. It may lead to nothing more than frustration, but insults and rude gestures are often a catalyst for physical violence.

    Weapon Usage

    • Another effect of road rage is that it triggers the use of various weapons. AAA explains that with "4,400 of the 10,037 known aggressive driving incidents, the perpetrator used a firearm, knife, club, fist, feet or other standard weapon..." This accounts for over 43 percent of all aggressive drivers being caught in the United States. The most common weapons used among the 4,400 drivers were either guns or the cars themselves.

    Property Damage

    • Another way that society suffers because of road rage is through property damage. AAA reveals that many motorists express their frustration by smashing into buildings such as offices, schools, hotels, restaurants, government buildings and even hospitals. This behavior may be set off because the driver is angry at someone in the building or in the world in general. AAA cites an example of a 22-year-old man who was angry that the clerk at a gas station didn't sell him beer. He proceeded to crash into the gas pumps, causing a chain reaction that resulted in $500,000 in damage.

    Public Health

    • Road rage affects people to different degrees, but those who become fairly angry behind the wheel do not realize how they are hurting themselves. When someone experiences severe road rage, hormones are pumped into his body that cause stress. Although this is normal and harmless once in a while, people with frequent road rage are always affecting their body with these hormones. Over time, it can damage many areas, including the heart.

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