When Teenage Drivers Express Road Rage
Teens See Angry Motorists on TV, in Video Games & in the Family Car
Oct 9, 2009
Teenagers can't wait to drive – one of the first steps to becoming independent adults. Classroom and online driving courses cover all aspects of driving, including driver courtesy, but teens don't always connect what they've learned in the classroom to what's on the road. At a very early age, kids learn a lot about driving from the examples they see in real life. Parents who curse and scream at other drivers, and who drive aggressively, are teaching teens that it's okay to get angry behind the wheel.
How Does Road Rage Start?
Teens old enough to operate a motor vehicle are still immature and have practically no solo driving experience. Hormones and brain development play a part in how teens react to emotional stimuli. Teens lack confidence in their ability and may fear having an accident or getting killed. A close call or coping with another motorist's blatant discourtesy causes sudden and overwhelming stress. The reaction is aggression toward the offending driver.
Video games are not all child's play and many are far from educational. The worst driving games have nothing to do with skill; motorists have the option to kill pedestrians, get involved in accidents, and damage property. Tragically, the glorified games featuring blood and gore can easily influence kids, but the number of teen fatalities from real life traffic accidents has very little impact on young drivers.
Games aren't the only bad influence on teenagers just starting to drive. For years, movies, TV shows, commercials, magazines and social expectations have been teaching kids that self worth is measured by a car's style and speed.
Parents begin teaching life skills from the moment a child is born. Every time a child or young teen gets into the family vehicle with a parent, he or she learns something about driver courtesy and a motorist's attitude behind the wheel. Whether parents want to admit it or not, many have taught their teenagers the finer points of physical and verbal road rage.
Signs a Teen May be Prone to Road Rage
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA) statistics cited on the page, "Aggressive Driving: Three Studies" (Report by Louis Mizell, Inc., for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 2009), "An average of at least 1,500 men, women, and children are injured or killed each year in the United States as a result of 'aggressive driving.'"
How can a parent tell if a teen might have a tendency toward road rage? First of all, don't wait until a young person is old enough to get a driving learner's permit to begin analyzing his or her driving character.
- When a teen is a passenger, does he (or she) make aggressive comments or display an angry attitude toward a motorist that's made a mistake?
- Is the teen short-tempered, rude, easily angered, or is he quick to criticize other people?
- Does the teen frequently display extreme emotional tendencies at home, such as yelling and screaming?
- Does he take responsibility for his actions at home, at school, and at work?
- What kind of behavior does the teen (and other young family members) see when a parent drives?
- Does the teen look or act thrilled when a parent or other adult driver tries to "get even" or yells obscenities at an offending motorist?
- Does the teen "show off" at home in front of his friends or try to act macho?
- Is the teen behind the wheel obsessed with speed or slow traffic, and does he take too many chances?
How a Parent Can Stop Teen Road Rage
Teens are influenced by other adults as well as peers who may drive recklessly – or have a reckless attitude about driving. What can parents do when a teen driver shows road rage?
- Take away the keys. This is not a drastic measure, but may very well be a lifesaving step.
- When everyone is calm, discuss with the teen his aggressive behavior and improvements that will have to be made before the keys can be returned. Be firm.
- Ride with the teen until completely convinced the teen's behavior has improved.
- Seek professional help for teen anger if necessary.
- Ask other parents, teachers, and any adult who knows the teen to be observant and report any temper outbursts or driving incidences that might indicate an anger problem.
- Don't make the mistake of thinking teen driver aggression is "only a phase" or "he'll grow out of it".
Parents are responsible for setting good examples for kids of any age. Teenagers learning to drive may demonstrate the same good or bad behaviors as a parent when behind the wheel of a car.
A parent can look for clues that a teen may be too aggressive to drive safely. Parents who suspect a teen is guilty of road rage are strongly urged to take action before someone gets hurt. Taking away the car keys and/or seeking professional help for teen anger is not going too far, but is in fact acting responsibly. Allowing a teen to continue his aggression toward other drivers could ultimately lead to tragedy.
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