ROAD RAGE DRIVERS SHOW NO REMORSE; CMU STUDY ANALYZES SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.-Most drivers who engage in "road rage"--from tailgating and honking to sideswiping and drawing weapons--believe their aggressive behavior is inherited from a parent and their victims deserve what they get, according to a Central Michigan University study.
The exploratory study also found that while some victims of road rage are so shaken by the experience they no longer drive, others transform themselves into the offensive, aggressive drivers they once condemned--they will no longer let others get the upper hand.
Both perpetrators and victims of road rage were interviewed for the study by Nancy Herman, a CMU sociologist, and a team of graduate student assistants. Her sample of nearly 100 people ages 18 to 56 included both men and women as well as professional truck drivers and commuters.
"Most of the current academic literature on aggressive driving fails to get at the underlying social factors that cause road rage," says Herman. "This is an on-going, exploratory study that aims to dispel misconceptions and gain a more accurate understanding of this behavior. It's a topic that needs further investigation, especially from a sociological perspective."
More than two-thirds of the individuals in the study felt that road rage was caused genetically, that the behavior was in-born, she said.
"They believed that if one's father had road rage, then it was passed on naturally to his children," said Herman. "About one- third of those interviewed felt road rage was a behavior learned primarily at an early age from watching a family member while driving or from watching police chases or aggressive driving on movies and television."
Respondents reported engaging in many different types of road rage, from tailgating, cutting people off, excessive horn blowing, gestures and flashing high beams to the more violent acts of side swiping, hurling objects and pulling weapons.
"One of the major types of road rage behavior is tailgating; everyone interviewed for the study admitted to engaging in this behavior at least once," said Herman. "Of all the types of road rage, excessive horn blowing was the one type to which they most frequently admitted."
More than one-third of the individuals in the study reported that they have chased another driver at least once in their driving careers. About 25 percent reported that they have purposely bumped into the rear end of another car.
The consequences of road rage affected the victims financially, physically and emotionally, said Herman. Some respondents reported minor auto damage such as cracked windshields, dents, scratches and alignment problems from being forced off the road. A few reported injuries due to physical altercations resulting from road rage.
"One of the most interesting things for victims is that some were so shaken up by the experience that they no longer drive or no longer drive alone or at night," she said. "Very surprisingly, about 15 percent reported that as a result of being victimized, they themselves have become offensive drivers. Instead of driving defensively, they decided to take matters into their own hands and become the aggressor, daring others to cross them."
Perpetrators, on the other hand, came up with all kinds of rationales to explain their behavior and generally showed no remorse for their actions, said Herman.
"No one admitted that they were wrong," she said.
More than 70 percent of the perpetrators felt that justice was served for having engaged in road rage behavior, said Herman. In addition, the majority of the perpetrators in the study felt that their road rage activities elevated their self-identities and self-esteems because they were "correcting a wrong" or "standing up for oneself."
"Some of the perpetrators neutralized their guilt by denying responsibility for their behaviors," said Herman. "They attributed road rage to drugs, alcohol, temporary insanity due to stress, or even premenstrual syndrome.
"About three-quarters of the respondents denied that any harm is done by their aggressive behavior, while two-thirds contended that victims were not really victims and deserved the actions directed toward them," she said.
About 25 percent of those interviewed minimized their behavior in comparison to more serious offenders such as drunk or drug- addicted drivers. About 20 percent appealed to higher loyalties: they were not engaging in road rage behavior for "themselves" but for the benefit of others.
"For example, one father with two young children in the car justified his road rage by saying he did it for his kids," said Herman. "The other driver endangered his children so he had to chase after the other driver for his kids.
"All these reasons and explanations tie into how people perceive themselves," she said. "We feel we are autonomous individuals in our cars. We have control of the road. We feel we have the right to take the law into our own hands."
Herman presented her research findings last fall at the Michigan Sociological Association Meetings in Flint, Mich.
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Editor's note: Two Michigan lawmakers have introduced bills in the Michigan legislature aimed at cracking down on drivers who have "road rage" and aggressively use their vehicles as weapons. The bills would, among other things, provide new penalties and increase existing penalties for aggressive driving behavior.
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE CONTACT:
Mike Silverthorn
Office of Public Relations & Marketing
Central Michigan University
Phone: (517) 774-3197
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SOURCE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Nancy Herman
Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work
Central Michigan University
Phone: (517) 774-3805
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