by Allen Teal

Created on: March 02, 2007   Last Updated: March 07, 2007

Road rage takes on two distinct forms. The first is relatively safe and maybe even a little therapeutic. This is the driver who drives along grumbling and grousing at the cars and traffic around him or her. These harmless outbursts can be amusing to the passengers of his or her vehicle and create very few, if any, problems for the drivers of other cars unless the windows are down at the time.

Letting off steam in this way allows the driver to vent frustrations that can build from the boredom of driving in general. The venting also relieves the stress of driving in difficult situations. Many drivers, no doubt, get rid of much pent up anger without inflicting it directly on family and coworkers.

The second form of road rage can range from honking a horn to voice disapproval of the driving of others to ramming other cars with rager's own. Aggressive actions toward other drivers, even if relatively benign, can still bring unwanted consequences. Armed drivers have been known to use weapons on other drivers when they feel sighted or threatened.

Drivers pushed by rage have downed and killed pedestrians and cause serious automobile accidents. When a person is overcome by rage, their thought processes are compromised and their reactions often exceed what should happen in a given circumstance. Playing dodge cars on the freeway is a crime and should be. Smoking the tires to leave an unpleasant situation my seem satisfying for a moment, but the perpetrator just ends up looking like someone who is out of control. He or she probably is.

Those of us who endure the nonsense of road ragers must learn give them room to be as stupid as they intend to be. It is better to move out of the way than to stoop to their level. Inconsiderate drivers are just inconsiderate people who have been given a license to drive directly and a license to harm indirectly. They should ultimately be treated like drunk and drugged drivers by the law. A person out of control for any reason should be penalized for driving in that condition.

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