We’ve all done it before-gotten angry at the person driving in front of us, that is. And while most of us recognize aggressive driving when we see it, many of us deny ever doing it ourselves. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as occurring when, “an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.” Most people would simply classify this as ‘bad driving’. But haven’t we all been bad drivers at one point or another? Have you ever slept through your alarm and realized you were running late for work? In a world where time is money, we have no problem (it seems) putting our lives as well as the lives of others at risk just so we can get to where we’re going on time.

So, what is it then that causes aggressive behavior in drivers? In 1998, the NHTSA came up with a battery of questions for motorists that asked how often they got angry, were impatient, were competitive or attempted to punish other drivers in driving situations. The results were compelling. Seventy-five percent of the participants in the aggressive driver groups said they “always” or “often” compete with other cars when in a traffic jam, and most admitted to speeding. One participant even stated, “If I’m going 80 mph in the fast lane and someone comes up behind me, I should move out of his way,” thereby suggesting that slower drivers are the problem.

Resolving the Issue

There are many ways to begin resolving the issue of aggressive driving; the first step is to be more cognizant of when it is occurring, not only for other drivers but for yourself as well. Examples of aggressive driving include but are certainly not limited to: blocking other cars when trying to change lanes, blocking cars that are trying to pass, drag racing at stop lights, competing with other cars in traffic jams, becoming impatient when cars ahead slow down, following too closely, and becoming angered when someone cuts you off.

Aggressive driving is often paired with frustration, which can usually be seen when people move from one state to another or around the holidays when people are traveling long distances to see loved ones. If you feel like you may get frustrated, perhaps you should consider looking into an auto transport company or some other vehicle relocation service and take the train instead.

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