Driven insane - dealing with road rage
Road rage has crept under the radar. It's random, scary and too dangerous to ignore.
Almost every week, newspapers and television report tales of misplaced aggression. It's aggression often played out on our roads in peak hour, soap opera-esque dramas as driver is pitted against driver - often over something as minor as a forgotten indicator signal and sometimes ending in tragedy.
There are no official statistics - road rage, on its own, is not categorised as a crime and statistics related to other offences, such as physical assaults or reckless driving endangering life, do not necessarily reflect a road rage link.
But even a cursory observation in a typical peak hour will reveal mounting tension as drivers battle each other for space and consideration on congested streets and freeways.
So why can't we be nicer to each other on the road?
In recent months in Australia, there has been several horrendous incidents such as a truck driver running over another motorist in Frenchs Forest, a driver stabbing another in Charlestown in the Hunter Valley; an 18-year-old man suffering a broken nose and possible spinal damage after being hit with a hammer by a driver at St Marys; the Mascot hit-and-run attack where a pack of cyclists was allegedly hit by a frustrated road user.
And in Melbourne's south-east on June 8, a woman watched in horror after an intersection altercation between her husband and a younger man resulted in her husband being stabbed, several times, in the back, hand and head.
In the Mascot incident on May 8, more than 50 cyclists from a training group that included Australian Beijing Olympic Games hopeful Ben Kersten, former Olympian Michelle Ferris and Kate Nichols - one of the Australian Institute of Sport riders injured in the 2005 training accident that claimed the life of cyclist Amy Gillett - were allegedly targeted by the driver of a grey sedan. Fortunately, nobody sustained serious injuries.
In the Mascot incident on May 8, more than 50 cyclists from a training group that included Australian Beijing Olympic Games hopeful Ben Kersten, former Olympian Michelle Ferris and Kate Nichols - one of the Australian Institute of Sport riders injured in the 2005 training accident that claimed the life of cyclist Amy Gillett - were allegedly targeted by the driver of a grey sedan. Fortunately, nobody sustained serious injuries.
The driver was later served a court summons for leaving the scene without supplying his details. The damage bill to the bikes was expected to run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
At the time, smh.com.au reported one of the group - cyclist Matt Bazzano who has trained on Sydney's roads for more than two decades - as saying the incident was the most extreme example of road rage he had witnessed. So, are Australian tempers really fraying more than ever?
Sydney consultant and clinical psychologist Grant Brecht of Grant Brecht & Associates, says he has quite a few clients who present with high levels of tension and stress and admit to venting road rage.
"They often have emotional outbursts in other situations as well - work, family, sport," he says.
It is a growing problem, which tends to have a definite gender bias.
"Males are more likely to express anger outwardly, where females tend to keep it in more," Brecht says.
Sydney consultant and clinical psychologist Grant Brecht of Grant Brecht & Associates, says he has quite a few clients who present with high levels of tension and stress and admit to venting road rage.
"They often have emotional outbursts in other situations as well - work, family, sport," he says.
It is a growing problem, which tends to have a definite gender bias.
"Males are more likely to express anger outwardly, where females tend to keep it in more," Brecht says.
"It does appear to be an increasing problem, due to the increasing pressures and time demands on people - too many things to be involved in with too little time to do them. There are also high levels of expectations placed by ourselves on ourselves or by others on us."
The solution, he says, could be as simple as taking time to unwind and smell the proverbial flowers.
"We are now often on a treadmill going at 100 kilometres an hour, trying to keep up with all the demands we have," he says.
The issues around road rage are often far broader than just concerns about increasingly congested roads but in Brecht's view traffic snarls become "the straw that breaks the camel's back".
"[The road] is just one of the places that stressed people will vent their anger - it is seldom, if ever, the only situation in which these people explode emotionally. It is an accumulation of stressors that are not being dealt with effectively by the individuals who emotionally snap," he says.
The solution, he says, could be as simple as taking time to unwind and smell the proverbial flowers.
"We are now often on a treadmill going at 100 kilometres an hour, trying to keep up with all the demands we have," he says.
The issues around road rage are often far broader than just concerns about increasingly congested roads but in Brecht's view traffic snarls become "the straw that breaks the camel's back".
"[The road] is just one of the places that stressed people will vent their anger - it is seldom, if ever, the only situation in which these people explode emotionally. It is an accumulation of stressors that are not being dealt with effectively by the individuals who emotionally snap," he says.
Cascie Wills, 29, runs two successful businesses - art4play and Hire A Hunk - and spends much of her working life on the road. She has witnessed the increasing prevalence of road rage.
"I have seen punch-ups at traffic lights, swearing and people trying to run each other off the road," she says, adding that she believes it is happening with greater frequency. "There is so much pressure to get everywhere fast because people are time-poor and with increased traffic and road works and 40kmh zones it's just frustrating."
Last year, while driving through a 50kmh zone in Paramatta with her mother and boyfriend in the car, Wills was on the receiving end of another driver's frustration and says the incident was frightening.
"I clearly was not going fast enough for the man behind me so he sat right on me until I hit my brakes and he overtook me. We ended up at a roundabout with him in front and he would pretend to drive off, then brake, in the hope that I would hit his car by mistake.
"I have seen punch-ups at traffic lights, swearing and people trying to run each other off the road," she says, adding that she believes it is happening with greater frequency. "There is so much pressure to get everywhere fast because people are time-poor and with increased traffic and road works and 40kmh zones it's just frustrating."
Last year, while driving through a 50kmh zone in Paramatta with her mother and boyfriend in the car, Wills was on the receiving end of another driver's frustration and says the incident was frightening.
"I clearly was not going fast enough for the man behind me so he sat right on me until I hit my brakes and he overtook me. We ended up at a roundabout with him in front and he would pretend to drive off, then brake, in the hope that I would hit his car by mistake.
"I laughed at him, as I thought he was insane and that escalated the situation so much that he started punching the inside roof of his car and then sped off," she says.
Having done nothing to provoke him - "I was doing 50 in a 50 zone and that was just not enough for him" - Wills says the incident left her shaken and in fear of physical harm.
"I thought he was going to assault me," she says. "I told my mum to lock her door."
But has Wills been tempted to unleash her own road rage on someone else? "I'm embarrassed to say I have - I honked my horn at a car I was following because they were going so slow, about 35 in a 60 zone. I was frustrated because I was late but I felt ashamed because they were a little older and clearly not as comfortable on the road," she says.
Her feelings, post-outburst, back up a recent survey conducted by NRMA Insurance, which revealed that stressed-out drivers who swear, honk horns, shout and make gestures at others have admitted their angry actions are pointless.
Having done nothing to provoke him - "I was doing 50 in a 50 zone and that was just not enough for him" - Wills says the incident left her shaken and in fear of physical harm.
"I thought he was going to assault me," she says. "I told my mum to lock her door."
But has Wills been tempted to unleash her own road rage on someone else? "I'm embarrassed to say I have - I honked my horn at a car I was following because they were going so slow, about 35 in a 60 zone. I was frustrated because I was late but I felt ashamed because they were a little older and clearly not as comfortable on the road," she says.
Her feelings, post-outburst, back up a recent survey conducted by NRMA Insurance, which revealed that stressed-out drivers who swear, honk horns, shout and make gestures at others have admitted their angry actions are pointless.
More than 80 per cent of drivers who confessed to getting angry at others on the road said it did not alleviate their frustration, with more than one in seven admitting it made them feel even more stressed.
NRMA Insurance spokesman Stephen Beatty says the research demonstrated the need for drivers to stay calm - even when faced with the frustrating driving behaviour of others. Losing your cool can only lead to a more dangerous situation.
"Honking horns, flashing lights and angry gestures could distract other drivers, creating more risk and angst on the road. Why get yourself worked up in the first place if your anger is wasted?"
Beatty says those in the 25 to 34 age bracket are the worst road rage offenders. The figures are higher than the national average and also show Sydney drivers to be more prone to road rage than drivers in regional NSW.
NRMA Insurance spokesman Stephen Beatty says the research demonstrated the need for drivers to stay calm - even when faced with the frustrating driving behaviour of others. Losing your cool can only lead to a more dangerous situation.
"Honking horns, flashing lights and angry gestures could distract other drivers, creating more risk and angst on the road. Why get yourself worked up in the first place if your anger is wasted?"
Beatty says those in the 25 to 34 age bracket are the worst road rage offenders. The figures are higher than the national average and also show Sydney drivers to be more prone to road rage than drivers in regional NSW.
Most frequent types of road rage
Swearing - 65 per cent
Beeping horn - 54 per cent
Shouting - 39 per cent
Hand gestures - 38 per cent
Flashing lights - 30 per cent
Swearing - 65 per cent
Beeping horn - 54 per cent
Shouting - 39 per cent
Hand gestures - 38 per cent
Flashing lights - 30 per cent
TIPS FOR DEALING WITH ROAD RAGE
For people who feel the tendency to respond to someone's annoying driving habits with swearing or abuse, psychologist Grant Brecht suggests that drivers take a few deep breaths and say the word "relax" as they exhale.
"Put a small smile on your face," he says, "and let your muscles in your shoulders and arms relax. Use constructive 'self talk', such as: 'hardly a catastrophe given what could happen to me, this is no big deal'; 'just relax, maybe it's me who is just too wound up'; 'I will leave the problem with that driver'; 'he (or she) may be distracted by a personal problem'."
If you become the victim of someone else who has not managed to let their own relax and breathe techniques stop them from swearing or tooting at you, Brecht says that the best advice is to remain calm and not fall into the trap of returning the abuse.
"If you are feeling traumatised or remain feeling anxious or really worried about driving, see a psychologist and get some techniques for dealing with the aftermath," he says.
For people who feel the tendency to respond to someone's annoying driving habits with swearing or abuse, psychologist Grant Brecht suggests that drivers take a few deep breaths and say the word "relax" as they exhale.
"Put a small smile on your face," he says, "and let your muscles in your shoulders and arms relax. Use constructive 'self talk', such as: 'hardly a catastrophe given what could happen to me, this is no big deal'; 'just relax, maybe it's me who is just too wound up'; 'I will leave the problem with that driver'; 'he (or she) may be distracted by a personal problem'."
If you become the victim of someone else who has not managed to let their own relax and breathe techniques stop them from swearing or tooting at you, Brecht says that the best advice is to remain calm and not fall into the trap of returning the abuse.
"If you are feeling traumatised or remain feeling anxious or really worried about driving, see a psychologist and get some techniques for dealing with the aftermath," he says.
HOW TO AVOID ROAD RAGE
Melbourne psychologist John Cheetham does specialised road rage counselling for drivers and gives useful tips for road users who want to avoid bearing the brunt of someone else's anger. His drivers' behaviour tips include:
* Drive cautiously and within your abilities.
* Minimise provocation and risk by following the car in front at a safe distance.
* If someone is upset by your driving, respond in a positive way - apologise.
* Indicate well in advance of changing lanes.
* Avoid the temptation to rudely gesture or swear at an annoying driver.
* Do not provoke or escalate a conflict. Provocation will result in more trauma.
* Your primary purpose as a driver is to arrive safely - not quickly.
* If a conflict is emerging, close your windows and do not engage others in conversation. Head for the nearest known police station.
Melbourne psychologist John Cheetham does specialised road rage counselling for drivers and gives useful tips for road users who want to avoid bearing the brunt of someone else's anger. His drivers' behaviour tips include:
* Drive cautiously and within your abilities.
* Minimise provocation and risk by following the car in front at a safe distance.
* If someone is upset by your driving, respond in a positive way - apologise.
* Indicate well in advance of changing lanes.
* Avoid the temptation to rudely gesture or swear at an annoying driver.
* Do not provoke or escalate a conflict. Provocation will result in more trauma.
* Your primary purpose as a driver is to arrive safely - not quickly.
* If a conflict is emerging, close your windows and do not engage others in conversation. Head for the nearest known police station.
- Sydney Morning Herald
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