Aggressive Driving

Jocelyn Sanderson
Clark Wren
English 112
November 8, 2011
Aggressive Driving
Many Americans are aggressive drivers that enables them to release anger built up inside, also called road rage.   Drivers that are aggressive and have road rage will become infuriated with other drivers and sometimes result in physical altercations.   Road rage is increased when drivers make bad judgments, and as a result crashes, serious injury, and death may occur.   Some common signs of aggressive driving are: expressing frustration, yelling, gesturing, cursing to other drivers, not paying attention, eating, drinking, talking on the phone while driving, frequently changing lanes, running red lights, and speeding.   If any of these signs seem relevant then you may be an aggressive driver, but I feel we all have some road rage underneath the surface.   Aggressive driving is a dangerous dispute among Americans today that causes accidents and death due to bad judgments.
Making improper judgments is a common mistake that drivers make provoking other drivers to become aggressive.   I personally have road rage at times.   The most irritating thing is driving down the highway at a speed of 60 mph and a driver intentionally pulls out directly in front of me to only drive much slower.   This changes my mood instantly from good driver to aggressive driver.   I begin to yell, curse, and if I was already in a terrible mood I will “flip the bird”.   Sometimes it upsets me to the point to where I want revenge.   If the opportunity comes to pass the driver, I will punch my GT Mustang back around them to get in front.   Driving under the influence of alcohol or any other drug is also known to increase aggressive driving behavior.   According to NHTSA, about 49% of drivers ages 21-24 involved in fatal crashes had a Blood Alcohol Level of .08 or higher.   One incident that I remember concerning drinking and driving was when I was a sophomore in high school.   A few upper classmates had skipped school one day....