Bob Mionske, the legal columnist at Velonews, has an interesting piece posted entitled “Summer of Rage,” in which he discusses recent incidents of road rage directed at bicyclists nationally.
The most interesting aspect was his discussion of the psychology behind road rage. Beyond the us v. them psychology that would be expected from different users of the road, Mionske also delves into the inherent frustration of modern motoring.
Advertising has sold us on the belief that “it’s not your car, it’s your freedom.” Automobiles offer the promise of easily and quickly taking us anywhere, at any time. With that assumption, anything that stops or even slows them down will cause a motorist to be frustrated. That includes stop lights, stop signs, traffic congestion, one-way streets, road work, other motorists or bicyclists taking part of the traffic lane.
That frustration and resulting anger and even violence isn’t always directed at bicyclist and is often directed at other motorists, Mionske observes. Yet, it can be compounded by the unpredictable actions of new bicyclists, or those who have not ridden in years, who have taken to the roads since gas prices rose in recent months.
Forest Bicycle has prepared this short video for bicyclists, so they would know what to expect from motorists:
