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Teens & Road Rage
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| Wednesday, March 14th, 2007 | Emily Halevy | CWK Producer |
“Sometimes you just, oh man, you just want to yank somebody out of their window and just beat the crap out of them for being so stupid.”
– Karron Danner, 20 years old
In general, teens have a hard time controlling their emotions. They yell and scream and say things they don’t mean.
But what happens when they’re behind the wheel and someone makes them angry?
“See, like this is a perfect example right here,” 20-year-old Karron Danner says – as she drives on a busy street. “He’s gonna pull out in front of me and slam on his brakes for no reason - and then he’s probably gonna try to get back over.”
Karron says it’s situations like this one that can make her angry.
“Sometimes you just, oh man, you just want to yank somebody out of their window and just beat the crap out of them for being so stupid,” she says, gritting her teeth.
According to the National Youth Driver Survey, 55 percent of teens report seeing their friends enraged behind the wheel.
But experts say, for teens, when someone cuts them off and endangers their life, road rage is less about anger and more about fear.
Psychologist Dr. Nadine Kaslow explains: “They don’t have as much experience or competence at handling challenging situations.”
Which is why, experts say, parents need to talk to their kids about the dangers of road rage before they’re ever handed the keys.
“It can have really serious and potentially fatal consequences - whether for yourself or for somebody else,” says Kaslow. “And also talk about what else you can do when you’re angry and on the road, when you’re scared and you’re on the road, what are other more productive ways of dealing with those feelings besides road rage.”
Experts say ways of dealing with road rage include pulling over to a safe place, taking deep breaths and listening to music to help you calm down.
And, experts add, parents need to set a good example.
“Whether they have road rage or whether they just get angry in the car,” Kaslow says, “kids see that and kids see, ‘well, that’s okay to be cursing in the car or screaming in the car.’”
Tips for Parents
- Anyone can experience road rage, but keep a close eye on teenagers that typically have anger and temper problems. (Nadine Kaslow, PhD, psychologist)
- If you and your child get into an argument and your teen storms out - take their keys away. Suggest that instead of driving to blow off steam, go for a walk. (Nadine Kaslow, PhD, psychologist)
- If you find out your child has had an episode of road rage, first, take their keys away with a plan for them to get them back. Also, talk to them about their anger management issues. Find more productive ways for them to release their emotions. (Nadine Kaslow, PhD, psychologist)
- Peer pressure can also play into road rage. Teens may want to show off by acting macho for their peers. This is one more reason to not allow other teenage passengers in the car. (Nadine Kaslow, PhD, psychologist)
References
- National Youth Driver Survey
- Emory University
