For the past hundred years, motor vehicle deaths have declined steadily, reinforcing a sense of comfort within weary drivers. That is until 2019 when traffic fatalities rose for the first time in seventy years; aggressive drivers hold most of the blame.
Over the last ten years, road rage-related incidents have increased by 500%. Additionally, 80% of drivers admit to have driven aggressively and 90% claim they have witnessed it from other drivers.
There is a psychological explanation for the sudden increase.
In 1969, Stanford University conducted a study under which female students were asked to electrically shock a research participant. Beforehand, the female students were split into two groups: the first group wore special hoods to hide their identity while the second were given name tags. In the end, the first group was twice as likely to shock the participant.
In other words, people are more likely to act aggressively when their identity is hidden from others. Drivers, for instance, find comfort in knowing that there is a 3,000 pound vehicle separating them from other drivers, as well as a semi-transparent windshield that further distorts their appearance.
Especially at night – during which half of all fatal car crashes occur – it is almost impossible to distinguish one driver from another.
For junior Quasim Hussain, the issue is more dependent on the circumstance. “I’m safe most of the time, so I wouldn’t call myself an aggressive driver. The problem is when I’m running late. In that case, there is nothing else for me to do but speed,” Hussain said.
Teenagers make up around 10% of all licensed drivers in the United States, but they account for 17% of all alcohol-related crashes. Novice drivers are also two times more likely to be in a fatal car crash.
Even then, teenage drivers are not necessarily more aggressive than older drivers, according to local Sheriff and Pleasant Valley’s High School Resource Officer, Deputy Jamey Fah.
“I am not certain teens are more likely to be aggressive drivers since I have interacted with plenty of adults who are just as aggressive,” Fah said. “I am, however, confident that because they are new drivers, they are more likely to have problems when they lose control of their vehicle and potentially cause collisions.”
Most car crashes involving underage drivers are often attributed to a lack of maturity and experience as a driver. Either they don’t know how to properly maneuver a 3,000 pound vehicle, or they lack the maturity to do so safely.
“My advice is for students to remember that a vehicle is a lot of mass,” Fah explained. “Although cars are overall very safe, they are still most likely the most dangerous thing a student is responsible for in their daily lives.”
Justifications often vary in respect to aggressive driving. Whether it be because of circumstantial factors like tardiness or a lack of maturity, drivers must understand that motor vehicles, safe as they are, still weigh around 3,000-4,000 pounds and account for over 38,000 yearly fatalities.
