Effects of aggressive driving and driver characteristics on road rage

To what extent is road rage triggered by aggressive driving behavior (frust ration-aggression) or by characteristics of an aggressive driver (frustrati on-selective aggression)? Two scenarios on aggressive driving were presente d to 144 undergraduates: impeding traffic (passive aggression) and reckless driving (active aggression). Age, gender, and cell phone use of a fictitio us aggressive driver were manipulated in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. Depe ndent variables were anger that was created by each scenario, intentions to retaliate against the other driver, and intentions to report the incident to police. Age, gender, and cell phone use had no significant effects on re sults. Subjects raged far more against aggressive driving than against part icular classes of aggressive drivers. Strategies for lowering road rage are discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.