There is no doubt that the phenomenon of road rage exists. In a recent survey, it

was found that nine out of ten drivers admit to having felt intense anger toward

other drivers at some time. Road rage seems to be on the increase, and this may

be due to the tree main factors. First, there are more cars today competing for road

space. People also are far more subject to time constrains. A person who must

meet a time deadline, but is caught in a tangle of traffic, may feel increasingly

frustrated. Son this stress may result in an outburst of road rage ranging

anywhere from pounding on the car horn to getting out of the car and attacking

some other driver.

A second factor may be with the car itself. Three major responses to stress,

which evolved in the brain long before thought, are fight, flight, or freeze. Of

these responses, only one, fight, is available to the driver suddenly caught

behind a dawdler in the fast lane.

Another factor may be that people are not as courteous as they used to be. A

person who is worried about clocking in at work, having the report ready for the

afternoon mail, and meeting the boss while sneaking in late seems to forget how

to be polite. Other drivers become the enemy and the car is the weapon.

Since cars are becoming a necessity, drivers should consider a plan of

action against road rage. A change in mental attitude is the first step. An attack

of road rage will not get a driver any farther down the highway, but could result

in a serious health problem. One could leave home earlier or make

arrangements with the boss to arrive between two fixed times, this could give

the driver a twenty- or thirty-minute leeway.

Where in the passage does the author define road rage?