DENVER — From people pulling the middle finger to pulling the trigger of a gun, rage is quite apparent on the streets as police in this city report increasing road rage numbers, with some cases turning fatal.
Between 2018 and the end of 2022, the number of reported road rage cases increased 60%.
While the number of cases increased each year, they increased by more than 100 between 2021 and 2022.
And so far this year, police said they have dealt with 342 cases of road rage, which means 2023 will see a record number of road rage cases over a six-year period.
Road rage cases reported to Denver Police:
Year Number of Cases
- 2018 217
- 2019 258
- 2020 269
- 2021 272
- 2022 347
- 2023 342 (so far)
“The person is anxious. They are stressed out. They are frustrated. They have poor impulse control,” said Dr. Shawn Worthy, a clinical psychologist and professor of Human Services at MSU Denver.
In an interview with 9NEWS, Worthy theorized increased traffic and reporting to police may impact the increase in numbers. He also believes stress related to the economy and political climate likely plays a role.
Worthy said people who are prone to road rage are often unhappy at home and work.
“You don’t know how their day is going. You don’t know how their week is going. And you don’t know if they’re on that tipping point of just being so angry they want to vent their frustration on you,” Worthy said.
“There is this cognitive component to them that makes it feel personal. It makes it feel like you’re doing it to them, as opposed to just an accident,” Worthy said.
This year, Denver police have responded to several cases in which people are accused of resorting to guns.
The phenomenon is also reported by Colorado State Patrol throughout the state. In 2021, state police received 30,347 reports. In 2022, the Colorado State Patrol saw 31,760 reports, an increase of 4.5%.
We asked Worthy for advice on road rage.
What advice can you give to someone who may be at a tipping point on the road?
Worthy: There is this thing called three-squared breathing. You breathe in for a count of three. Hold for a count of three. Breathe out for a count of three, and then hold that for a count of three, so it’s like a square. Just paying attention to your breath will typically calm you down. For longer-term intervention, I would say go to counseling. (See also box breathing.)
That’s not just a person who engages at road rage. It’s a person who is angry at work, who is angry at home, who is angry on the airplane and angry in other places. So it’s not exclusive to being in the car.
What advice do you have for someone who is becoming the target of road rage?
Worthy: I suggest doing the apology thing. Raise a hand, and say sorry. Everybody knows what that means. Then try not to engage.
Why is it at the grocery store, if I accidentally get in somebody’s way, the encounter is usually cordial, but the experience can be different on I-70?
Worthy: The major reason is anonymity. So when you’re in your car, you’re separate from the other person. You can’t really see that person. There’s no physical presence between the two of you. So it’s easier to vent your frustration on somebody who is an unknown rather than a person who is real and is a presence.
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