The psychology of road rage

Aggressive driving and its deadly consequences are back in the national spotlight after a Las Vegas woman was killed in an alleged road rage shooting.

It’s an invisible danger drivers face on the road, but reliable statistics on road rage incidents are difficult to come by. According to data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, road rage accounted for 247 fatal accidentals in 2013. But those numbers fail to capture what really happens on the road, given that many cases of aggressive driving are not reported.

What contributes to road rage? Have you been a victim of road rage?

Guests:

Marie Montgomery, spokesperson for the Automobile Club of Southern California

Leon James, Professor of Psychology at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu; author of “Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare” (Prometheus Books, 2000)

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