Understanding the Nature of Road Rage: Intermittent Explosive Disorder

Is there a relationship between substance abuse and road rage?

Yes, there is a definite relationship between substance abuse and road rage. It has to do with a person’s feelings. 

Many people suffer intermittent or repeated bouts of road rage, but may not recognize them, as such or are not aware that that substance abuse is a contributing factor. When they have feelings of anger when driving, in conjunction with fatigue and fear, there can be a sudden release of adrenalin that triggers bouts of road rage.    

At times, everyone can become angry when driving, particularly when intentional or non-intentional, seemingly senseless things happen that could endanger the lives of others. For example, a mother with children in the car becomes angry when another driver drives through a red light and endangers her life, as well as theirs. She is frightened, shook up and upset, as she realizes how close she came to having an accident. Her anger is probably justified. She stops beside the highway, regains her composure, assures her children that they are all right and continues on her way. This is not road rage, as she is in control of her emotions.

“Road rage, also called intermittent explosive disorder, is a term used to refer to violent incidents resulting from stress caused by accidents or incidents on roadways. It is often a natural extension of aggressive driving.”  

The following statement by Anger Management Groups may surprise those who are convinced that their substance abuse is not a factor in road rage. Note the use of the word feel. Road rage has to do with one’s feelings.

“Road rage is a learned cultural habit of retaliation when you feel like retaliating. It is a free choice we exercise.”

Here is another example. An elderly man, driving a small car, enters the fast lane of a freeway, pulling right in front of a tandem truck. The truck driver, tired after working long hours, pulls up right beside him. He waves one fist in the air and screams words that are vulgar and abusive.  The elderly man is uncertain as to what to do and wanting to apologize, he pulls off on the side of the road. The trucker stops behind him, jumps out of his truck and heads towards the elderly man’s vehicle. He has a cigarette in one hand, a huge wrench in the other hand and begins to smash the car windows. Several other truck drivers witness and report the incident.           

This is an example of road rage where explosive anger triggers an assault. This kind of a response is probably not justified, but rather, the truck driver’s choice of action. What one might ask was whether the truck driver’s fear triggered him to respond in that violent manner.

Smokers, who may be addicted to other substances as well, can try to argue that the truck driver’s reaction was appropriate. Obviously, his intense feelings of rage had a trigger. He may have felt his life was in danger. 

It possibly was, but how he chose to respond to his feelings, endangered the life of the elderly man, too.

Is the combination of fatigue, cigarettes or substances of various kinds and fear, something that is a potentially fatal combination? Does that combination trigger road rage?

Are feelings the only factor? Is learning the only factor?

If feelings are the only factor, then being able to control one’s feelings is the answer to road rage. If it is only a learned response, it is possible to learn a more appropriate response than road rage.

Note that smokers often reach for a cigarette, when upset, angry or tired. Substance abuse does affect and alter feelings, not always in a good way. 

What has not been properly researched yet, is how many instances of road rage are actually linked to substance abuse. Blood alcohol levels are measurable, but to date, there is no measurement for substance abuse factors with respect to road rage.

It is a known fact that various substances can and do affect feelings in an adverse way. Feelings of intense anger can cause drivers to tailgate another vehicle, cut them off or do something more serious that endangers lives of other drivers. There are numerous instances of people severely injured or murdered by a person reacting to an accident or incident, with extreme, explosive anger. The kind of an adverse reaction occurs when feelings turn into negative actions that ultimately manifest themselves as road rage.  

What is becoming increasingly evident is that any driver repeatedly subjected to bouts of road rage, is losing control of his or her emotions or feelings, when driving.

Anger management is important, but is that the only answer?  

Since substance abuse does affect and alter one feelings, there can be no doubt that it is a contributing factor in road rage.