Two recently-released national surveys investigated the phenomenon of road rage. One found widespread occurrences of bad driving causing stress and anger in other motorists. The other focused on less frequent but more severe attacks of uncontrollable rage that may be due to an often-misunderstood mental disorder.

The first study was commissioned by AutoVantage, a motorists' service organization. It questioned drivers across the country about their observations and actions involving bad driving likely to cause road rage. High percentages of drivers surveyed witnessed the following situations at least once a week: drivers talking on cell phones (98%); cars running red lights (59%); vehicles going too fast (57%); drivers slamming on their brakes (54%); tailgating (50%); and sudden lane changes without signaling (44%). Many of the participants admitted to doing at least some of these things themselves.

Regional differences were apparent in the survey results. The worst-rated cities were Miami, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles and Boston. Four of the five are located on the east or west coasts. The best-rated cities were Minneapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, Seattle, and Atlanta. Four of these were in the Midwest or central south, with only one on the coast. In another list of best drivers, as indicated by the lowest accident rates, the top ten cities included two each in Iowa, Colorado and Tennessee, and one apiece in South Dakota, Alabama, Wisconsin and Michigan. The message seems to suggest staying in the middle of the country if you want to avoid road rage.

The other study was funded by NIMH (the National Institute of Mental Health), with results published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. It found that around 5 to 7% of the national sampling of over 9,000 adults showed signs of a little-known condition called intermittent explosive disorder (IED). It involves periodic outbursts of anger or violence grossly out of proportion to the stimulus provoking them. The episodes often include threats, physical aggression and/or property damage. They may occur as attacks of road rage, but also show up in many other situations. Trouble at the workplace, school or in marriage or other relationships frequently results from outbursts of uncontrolled rage; traffic violations and auto accidents are also common. Treatment with antidepressants and behavioral therapy can moderate the symptoms and help control the outbursts.

IED may be present in as many as 16 million Americans, more than are affected by more familiar mental disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. It usually first shows up during adolescence, at an average age of 14. Many IED sufferers exhibited other mental or emotional disorders or had drug or alcohol problems as well. Often, they had been diagnosed and received treatment for the other conditions but not for IED. Its diagnosis is somewhat controversial; some practitioners feel that its symptoms are actually caused by other conditions, and that it is not a separate disorder.


(Sources: theautochannel.com , AP, Psychology Today)