Link: http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/live/article/84427

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BRIAN TOWIE, METRO

Who does your typical road rager look like? You.

The phenomenon of fury behind the wheel has come to the fore once again after 55-year-old Antonio Greco was killed in what police are calling a deadly act of road rage last week on the James Snow Parkway near Milton.

Wayne Winsor, 39, faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident, criminal negligence and dangerous driving.

The victim’s family has since called for an end to aggression on the roadways.

But neither Greco nor Winsor fit the description of what experts have called likely road rage perpetrators: Young males under 30. Experts say that while a case this extreme is rare, it’s proof that anyone, particularly successful people, can blow their top and put themselves and others in harm’s way.

It’s more common than one might think: Angelo DiCicco, a 21-year driving instructor and general manager at Young Drivers of Canada, says out of the more than 500 professional drivers his school retrains per year, 95 per cent say they have been the subject of or subjected to road rage.
Control issue

“The most common acts of road rage don’t come from the Charlie Manson types who carry the bloody axe in the seat next to them, they come from people with above-average incomes and education,” adds Sgt. Cam Woolley of the Ontario Provincial Police.

“They’re successful people who interact well with the community around them and are referred to in a positive way. I think it’s a control issue. These people are used to being in charge of their lives, so when they get cut off or someone tailgates them, they react the wrong way.”

Incidents such as the one last week usually start with a mistake, says Woolley, followed by visual communication — a glare or offensive gestures, for instance. The situation can then escalate into aggression, then possibly violence if tempers flare high enough.

So what is it about the road that brings out the worst in people? Dr. David Wiesenthal, a York University psychology professor and co-author of Contemporary Issues In Road User Behavior And Traffic Safety, says the anonymity the car provides spurs people to act in ways they normally never would.

“Roads are a place where you see vengeance on a daily basis,” he said. “Speed and anonymity are factors: You have the car, which is both the weapon and the means of escape. You’ll probably never see that stranger again, so the social constraints are gone. You’re freer to deviate from social behaviour.”
Anonymity

Nevertheless, the protection from recognition the car affords drivers is no excuse to act aggressively, says Edyta Zdancewicz, media spokesperson for the Canadian Automobile Association.

“Road rage is essentially a selfish act, and it’s always serious. One life lost is too much,” she said. "It’s not something you can legislate out. The drivers have to take control of themselves. The onus is on all of us to use our common sense."