University of California Transportation Center

Automobile driving and aggressive behavior have had an extensive association. Themes of dominance and territoriality have long been part of automobile driving, which has also involved flagrant assaultive actions. Recent episodes of roadway violence in metropolitan areas have raised community concern about aggressive behavior in driving, although common beliefs about why such violence occurs can be seen as pseudoexplanations. Various themes in the psychology of aggression are presented as they pertain to automobile driving. Convergent factors in contemporary urban life that influence roadway aggression are discussed, and it is asserted that such behavior is more prevalent than commonly recognized.