The Negative Outcomes of Road Rage

In our current generation, automobile transportation has increased dramatically since the last decade due to the demands of society as well as the influence of social media and commercials. From young adolescents to elders, there are many different types of drivers in specific situations. However, road transportation becomes a problem when there is an impatient or aggressive driver behind the wheel. One of the biggest issues, when it comes to driving and public safety is road rage. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, road rage is when a motorist's uncontrolled anger is usually provoked by another motorist's irritating act and is expressed in aggressive or violent behavior (Merriam-Webster). When there are places to be, drivers tend to grow impatient with the traffic road and may operate without thinking thoroughly. Road rage has made a huge, negative impact on public transportation because it can lead to violence, an increase in traffic accidents, and death.

One of the negative impacts of road rage is violence. In the state of Texas, it is legal to have a weapon in a vehicle without a valid handgun license if that vehicle rightfully belongs to that individual or in their complete control. (Guns in Vehicles in Texas, 2018). Meanwhile, this can lead to numerous amount of aggressive violence such as injuries, accidents, or even deaths. For example, in the article "Firearms and Drivers, A Lethal Combination", it discusses how an NFL player was shot and killed in what the authorities described as a case of road rage. (Mele, 2017). In the same article, Florida and Texas also have the highest number of open firearms involved in road confrontations. When two parties are in an argument or a feud, the situation is already tense enough, not to mention there is a possibility of having a firearm nearby. Having weapons in vehicles can be beneficial when it's come to emergencies like self-defense. Even so, having a concealed weapon around can turn into a problem when people start to use it for other purposes. When a gun is within the reach, an individual will most likely use it in an irresponsible manner due to the overwhelming of hostile thoughts. Not only does this reckless action start to disturb the safety of everyone around them, but it can also increase the violence rate in road rage. According to the article "More People are Pulling Guns During Road-Rage Incidents", this proves a significant number of increased of road rage involving guns incidents. (Biette-Timmons, 2018). As a consequence of having concealed weapons in vehicles, violence has been escalated and as well as the causation of many brutal traffic accidents.

Furthermore, the second impact of road rage is unwanted traffic accidents. When anger takes control over an individual, it is unimaginable to what that person can do. Especially at the end of the day, fatigue and exhaustion can change the personality and attitude of the person as well as taking charges of their feeling. The feelings such as being obnoxious and moody can make a big contribution to road rage. The most alarming findings suggest that approximately eight million U.S. drivers engaged in extreme examples of road rage, including purposefully ramming another vehicle or getting out of the car to confront another driver (Caution: Millions of U.S. Drivers Are Angry, Aggressive or Enraged!, 2016). Other examples of road rage that may cause unwanted accidents is when the driver is tailgating, speeds, honks, flashes headlights, brake checking, not using turn signals, and cutting other off. (DMV, Road Rage). Similarly, this can increase the level of stress in an individual causing them to become even more antagonistic. When the stress level of an individual heightened, they most likely will cause more problems on the road. This can lead to many disastrous accidents as well as a ruinous amount of injuries. Not only does this slow down the public transportation system, but also affecting the surrounding. These types of accidents and situations can result in a countless number obstacles generate into a nightmare for the city.

As a result of these road rage incidents, the effects can be leading to catastrophic and deaths. There are different examples of neglectful drivers causing various tragic accidents. One example would be when a son witnessed his own father being shot with a gun due to a road rage incident (Wright, 2018). When violence involved, the chance of death increases. This includes open firearms and physical abuse, leading to a higher rate of conflicts and deaths. In fact, 66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving and 37% of aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm (Aggressive Driving and Road Rage). In addition, this derelict act can be considered in certain cases directly attributed to road rage. Another negative outcome of road rage is the expense. Besides causing physical harm to others or yourself, there can be plenty of damage to property, such as buildings and cars. Unnecessary expenses may have to be made, like car reparations, insurance, and having to pay legal fees. Most road ragers may result in facing jail time, or even prison time. A few moments of anger are not worth causing all the negative outcomes that can make many impacts to the public transportation and society.

Overall, road rage is a major issue because of its pessimistic use and malicious action. Simple road rage such as honking and yelling can somehow be tolerable, but excessive violence like having a concealed weapon in vehicles can lead to many negative outcomes and impacts on the road. This can also increase the chances of getting into an accident causing many injuries and unwanted traffic. A domino effect can be seen as road confrontations can lead to violence; which can result in accidents, injuries, or even death. It is important to help reduce road rage to avoid any more rigorous effects. By doing this, citizens will be able to have a healthier lifestyle along with fewer unpleasant accidents. The decrease in road rage will eventually lead to mental, physical, and emotional improvements in everyone's lives, rather than having us overstretched about the unimportant matters.

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