UC Irvine Institute of Transportation Studies

Automobiles and aggressive behavior have an extensive association, ranging from themes of dominance and territoriality to flagrant assaultive actions. A broad range of aggressive behaviors in the context of driving can be understood in terms of the disinhibition of aggression through multiple influence channels. The paper discusses the disinhibitory factors of physiological arousal, traffic context, cognitive scripts, and contagion mechanisms. Some results of two preliminary surveys concerning roadway aggression (victimization and perpetration) are presented which suggest that such occurrences are more prevalent than commonly acknowledged.