Identifying Your Own
Angry and Aggressive Driving Behaviors
It is important to understand your anger triggers on the road but
it is also helpful to think about and identify your own angry and aggressive
driving behaviors in the past and present. To
use this scale, take
a piece of paper and number down the page from 1 - 34. For each statement
below, use the numbers below (0-4) to indicate how often you engaged in
that behavior both in the past (measure from the
12 months of your life when you had the most anger) and in the present (the
last 12 months). Compare the scales when you are finished. This
can give you a chance to be clear about some driving behaviors that you
can change
if you wish to do so.
SCALE: 0: Never 1:
Rarely 2: Occasionally 3:
Often 4: Very often
- Having negative or demeaning thoughts about other drivers or pedestrians
- Making
negative comments out loud to yourself or others in your car about other
drivers or pedestrians.
- Pulling your
car close to the car in front of you to keep someone from merging into
your lane.
- Staring or glaring
or making facial expressions at another driver to show your disapproval
to another driver.
- Speeding past
another car or gunning your engine as you go by to let someone know
you are angry with them.
- Speeding up to
trying to stop another driver from passing you.
- Slowing down
in the fast lane to try to slow or upset another driver.
- Flashing your
bright lights at someone (or keeping them on) to show your disapproval
of that person or their behavior.
- Tailgating to
try to make a driver in front of you go faster or get out of your way.
- Using
or pumping your brakes to try to force others behind you to slow down or
to startle
or scare them.
- Weaving in and
out of traffic to get to your destination as fast as possible.
- Imagining
or wishing that another driver would have an accident.
- Imagining or
wishing that another driver would be hurt in a car accident.
- Imagining that
another driver would get killed in a car accident.
- Imagining or
wishing that you could be violent with another driver.
- Honking at someone
because they did something that you didn't like.
- Yelling, swearing,
or cursing at someone to show your displeasure with them.
- Making a visible
obscene gesture at someone (e.g flipping someone off).
- Throwing something
out your window at another car to show your disapproval
What
did you throw?: _______________________________________
- Using your car to
scare or intimidate someone by making abrupt or threatening maneuvers
(e.g. moving toward or into another car).
- Chasing or following
another car because of something they have done.
- Pointing to the
side of the roadway to try to get someone to pull over to talk about what
you think they have done wrong.
- Getting out of
your car and engaging in a verbal argument with another driver.
- Carrying
an object or weapon in your car in case you might need to use it to “defend” yourself
(baseball bat, golf club, knife, gun).
- Holding up or
showing an object or weapon to another driver to intimidate them.
- Deliberately
bumping into or ramming another car.
- Trying to run
another car off the road
Did
you succeed?: _____________________________________.
- Getting out of
your car and getting into a pushing match or physical fight as a result
of something
that happened on the roadway.
- Getting out of
your car and using an object or weapon on another driver.
- Trying to run
someone down (a driver who has gotten out of his car or a pedestrian) who
has angered you.
- Shooting at another
car.
- Permanently injuring
someone as a result of an angry incident on the roadway.
- Killing someone
who has angered you while you were driving.
- Other: ___________________________________________________
TOTAL PAST: _______TOTAL PRESENT: _______
Add up the scores that you have written down and compare the totals as well.
© 1990 David J. Decker, MA, LP
Phone: 612-725-8402 or 651-646-4325 - www.ANGEResources.com
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