The most common causes of road rage and how to prevent it

This is the moment a BMW driver rams a motorcyclist off a bridge in an "extreme example of road rage", before crashing headfirst into an oncoming car.

Nikesh Mistry, 34, was jailed for four years and 10 months over the incident in Milton Keynes, in which the rider of the motorbike and the front passenger of the other car suffered serious injuries.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and one count of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Mistry was driving a silver BMW 320 on 19 November 2022 when there was an incident with the motorcyclist, a man in his 40s, at the Walton roundabout.

A non-verbal exchange between the two drivers ensued, after which Mistry swerved towards the motorcyclist in an attempt to force him off the road, eventually squashing the motorbike between his car and a metal barrier of a bridge.

CCTV footage shows the motorcyclist flying into undergrowth below, while Mistry crashes head-on with a car travelling in the opposite direction. Investigating officer PC Phil McGlue called the incident an "extreme example of road rage".

Here, Yahoo News explains the most common causes of road rage and how to avoid it.

The most common causes of road rage, according to the AA

While "road rage" is a broad term, making it hard to trace back to one root cause, the AA says most incidents can probably be boiled down to two main components – "a bad decision or mistake coupled with a bad response".

"Someone does something stupid and you overreact, you do something stupid and they overreact and so on," the breakdown cover company adds.

Set on finding out the most common triggers for these moments of anger, the AA polled 18,000 of its members. Out of those, 26% said they got frustrated by people who drive too close to them, making tailgating the most common reason for road rage. Here's how drivers responded:

• Tailgating (26%)

• Talking on a mobile (25%)

• Middle lane hogging (23%)

• Swooping - i.e. moving across several lanes at the last second to take a motorway exit (10%)

• Overtaking on the inside (7%)

• Driving slowly (3%), speeding (3%), littering (3%)

Another survey by insurance firm Compare the Market also notes lack of indication, being cut off, cars pulling into a road with no space and thus blocking it, and speeding as common triggers.

It also mentions "cyclists" as a reason for road rage, with police in Poole, Dorset, currently appealing for witnesses after a "hit-and-run" incident in which a man was rammed off his bike after telling a driver to stop using their phone.

How to prevent road rage

• Take a deep breath: If you find yourself seething with rage over something that's happened on the road, start off by breathing deeply into your abdomen and exhaling slowly, vehicle supplier OSV advises. You can find some breathing techniques here, and there's a wealth of articles and podcasts online that you can use for pointers.

• Turn your music down: If you're listening to fast or aggressive music, it's probably not going to help you calm down. Try turning it down or put on something more relaxing. Listening to podcasts is another good way to keep your mind occupied when stuck in traffic.

• Remind yourself you're not in a hurry: As well as reminding yourself of this, it's also worth remembering all of the other drivers on the road who would also rather be somewhere else than stuck in traffic. As OSV puts it: "Getting angry isn’t going to make things any easier for you or for them."

• Leave earlier or plan your journey in advance: If you tend to get angry when running late, leave a bit earlier, plan your journey in advance, and generally make things as easy for yourself as possible, for example by packing everything you need the night before and making sure your vehicle has enough fuel.

• Get enough sleep: Not getting enough sleep can negatively impact your wellbeing and make you irritable, stressed and more prone to road rage.

• Pull off the road: As My Car Credit advises, if you've been in a road rage incident and it's safe to do so, pull over and take some time to calm down before continuing with your journey.

• Take a moment before you react, and learn to let go: Try not to act impulsively when you feel a moment of frustration. Take a step back and reflect, and you'll be able to respond more thoughtfully, Compare the Market advises. We all make mistakes on the road, so learning to forgive and forget is a useful skill to perfect.

How to avoid becoming a victim of road rage

• Apologise: Acknowledging your mistake and saying sorry can go a long way to defusing a situation, OSV says. Even if you really don't think you're in the wrong, sometimes being the bigger person and apologising anyway could be the best way forward, as frustrating as that might be.

• Avoid making the situation worse: As tempting as it might be to give an irritating or antagonistic driver a taste of their own medicine, for example, by slowing down or breaking suddenly while being tailgated, it's probably only going to leave you both feeling more worked up.

• Don't leave your vehicle: If the other driver gets out of their car to confront you, don't do the same, as it is likely to escalate the situation. Make sure your doors are locked just to be on the safe side. If you feel like you're in danger, then drive away, but try and remain calm while doing so, without going too fast. Call the police if necessary.

• Ignore aggressive drivers: Avoid making eye contact of interacting with angry drivers, as it will probably make things worse, My Car Credit advises.

Read more

• Off-duty police officer charged with punching driver for honking horn at him(The Independent)

• New campaign to target tailgating and lane hogging on England's roads (Somerset County Gazette)

• The rise of the vigilante cyclists targeting London's dangerous drivers (Evening Standard)