Road Rage and the Brain: What Fuels Aggressive Driving?

ROAD RAGE, A COMMON PROBLEM

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) defines road rage as “aggressive or violent behavior stemming from a driver’s uncontrolled anger at the actions of another motorist.” Aggressive driving is more common than you might imagine, causing 66% of traffic fatalities, according to statistics.

Related: Does Anger and Violent Behavior Mean You’re a Bad Person?

Nobody likes being the victim of dangerous driving, and it can make you feel anxious or angry. Data shows that about half of all drivers who are the victim of road rage behavior respond with aggressive behavior by making a rude gesture, shouting, honking their horn, tailgating, or flashing their lights.

In some cases, this leads to an escalation of rage and aggressive behavior. Drivers may:

• Try to run the other car off the road
• Intentionally run into the other vehicle
• Exit their vehicles to engage in a physical altercation
• Use a weapon to harm the other driver

ROAD RAGE QUIZ: ARE YOU AT RISK FOR AGGRESSIVE DRIVING?

Think road rage is only a problem for other drivers? You might be surprised. Many of us exhibit aggressive driving habits without realizing it. Take a moment to answer these questions honestly:

• Do you often speed or race through red or yellow lights to save time?
• Do you frequently use your horn out of frustration?
• Do you find yourself tailgating or flashing your headlights when someone is driving slower than you’d like?
• Do you ever make rude hand gestures or yell at other drivers?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you may be an aggressive driver prone to road rage. Often, aggressive driving isn’t just about traffic—it’s a sign brain health issues or a sign of stress bubbling over from other areas of life. Crowded roads can act as a pressure cooker, and when another driver does something that seems inconsiderate (even if it’s unintentional), that pressure can erupt.

Other driving behaviors may also contribute to road rage in fellow drivers, such as:

• Making turns or changing lanes without using your turn signal
• Using your phone or being otherwise distracted
• Cutting people off when changing lanes
• Keeping high beams on at all times, even when there is oncoming traffic

If you engage in these driving habits, you may put yourself at risk of being involved in a road rage incident. It’s a good idea to reflect on your behavior and get to the root cause. 

UNDERSTANDING ROAD RAGE AND THE BRAIN

The human brain is involved in everything you think, do, and feel, and it’s involved in every decision you make while driving. The brain-imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that when there is abnormal activity in certain areas of the brain, it may contribute to anger, impulsivity, violent behavior, and other issues associated with road rage.

Amen Clinics uses single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), a brain-imaging  technology that measures blood flow and activity in the brain. Here’s a look at what over 250,000 SPECT scans from tens of thousands of patients at Amen Clinics reveals about road rage and the brain.

In general, there are three important brain systems that can play a role in road rage behavior.

1. Anterior Cingulate Gyrus (ACG)

The ACG and surrounding areas of the frontal lobes are involved in shifting your attention from one thing to another. When the ACG is working effectively you’re more able to roll with the circumstances of the day. However, if this part of the brain works too hard, there’s a tendency to get locked into negative thoughts or behaviors.

Something happens to some drivers when they get behind the wheel of a car; a territorial animal comes growling to the surface. When another driver makes an unsafe move, they can’t just express frustration, call the person a bad name, and continue driving.

Instead, the anger festers, and they get locked into a course of aggressive action—swearing, gesturing, chasing, or harassing the other driver. This is due to trouble with shifting attention.

Related: Getting Unstuck

Some examples of attention shifting issues in the ACG brain include:

• Getting stuck on ineffective thoughts and behavior patterns
• Argumentativeness
• Oppositional behavior
• Holding onto hurts from the past
• Excessive worrying

2. Temporal Lobes

The temporal lobes are located on either side of the brain below the temples and behind the eyes. The temporal lobes are involved in emotional stability and mood control among other important processes.

Brain scans show that when there is abnormal activity in this area, it can be associated with temper problems, aggressive behavior, emotional outbursts, and violence. Abnormal activity in the temporal lobes is often seen in people with a condition called intermittent explosive disorder.

3. Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)

Located in the front part of the brain, the PFC is involved in impulse control, planning, judgment, empathy, and more. On SPECT scans, low activity in the PFC is linked to impulsivity, poor judgment, and trouble with planning.

These issues can make a person do something or say something they shouldn’t that they will regret later.

In addition to these brain function issues, psychological factors such as chronic stress may also contribute to road rage.

THE CHRONIC STRESS-ROAD RAGE CONNECTION

For some people, road rage isn’t just a random emotional outburst—it’s a sign that their brain is stuck in a chronic state of stress and overactivation. When stress builds up over time, it alters brain function, making it harder to stay calm in frustrating situations.

Related: How Chronic Stress Rewires Your Brain (and What To Do About It)

Stress isn’t just a feeling; it physically changes the brain. When someone experiences ongoing stress—whether from work pressure, financial struggles, or personal challenges—the brain becomes wired for overreaction. Here’s how:

• Overactive Stress Circuits: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s central stress response system, stays in a heightened state, making small irritations (like getting cut off in traffic) feel like major threats.
• Weakened Emotional Control: Chronic stress suppresses the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for rational thinking and self-control. This makes it easier to snap in the heat of the moment.
• Increased Sensitivity to Triggers: A constantly stressed brain becomes hypervigilant, interpreting even minor inconveniences as personal attacks, which can fuel aggressive driving behavior.

WHY SOME STRESSED-OUT DRIVERS SNAP FASTER THAN OTHERS

Not everyone reacts to stress the same way. Some people stay composed, while others spiral into rage. Several factors influence how stress impacts road rage, including:

• Unresolved Trauma: Past emotional wounds can make perceived slights on the road feel personal, triggering an exaggerated response.
• Lack of Sleep: Sleep deprivation increases emotional reactivity, making people more likely to lash out.
• Nutritional Deficiencies: Low levels of key nutrients, like magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids, can contribute to mood instability and impulsivity.
• Toxic Thought Patterns: Negative thinking—such as assuming other drivers are intentionally rude—can fuel anger and hostility.

Understanding how stress rewires the brain gives us a critical tool for managing road rage. By calming the brain, reducing daily stress, and improving self-regulation skills, drivers can stay in control—even in the most frustrating traffic situations.

A CASE STUDY IN ROAD RAGE

Be careful when you notice yourself or another driver becoming furious with road rage. It can quickly turn into a downward spiral.

That’s what was happening with a 37-year-old attorney. When other drivers cut him off, he would chase them, and on two occasions, he got out of his car and bashed in their windows with a baseball bat.

After the second incident, he decided he needed to see a mental health professional and made an appointment at Amen Clinics. He said, “If I don’t get help for this, I’m sure to end up in jail.”

His brain scan revealed two abnormal findings:

• Increased activity in the ACG, causing him to get locked into negative thoughts and actions.
• Hyperactivity in the left temporal lobe, which correlated with angry outbursts.

Following recommendations to calm activity in the ACG and temporal lobes helped him gain better control over his anger and avoid future road rage issues.

CALM YOUR BRAIN WHEN ROAD RAGE STRIKES

When a road rage incident begins, remind yourself that you are responsible for your actions and take steps to diffuse the situation. If you’re getting angry or find yourself thinking about engaging in aggressive driving behaviors, follow these tips.

• Pull your car over in a safe place.
• Take a few deep breaths.
• Turn on soothing music.
• Mouth “I’m sorry” to the other driver.
• Allow enough space for the other driver to pass you.
• Think about the consequences of your actions (damage to one or more vehicles, physical harm, and legal issues).

On a day-to-day basis, you can minimize the risk of road rage by working to optimize your brain function.

Press Play to Discover How to Calm Your Temper

In this video, Dr. Daniel Amen reveals several of the calming strategies he shares with the people who visit Amen Clinics to learn how to deal with out-of-control anger issues.

Click below to tune in: