I know the problem, but perhaps from a slightly different side: I mostly get angry when walking.
I get extremely annoyed when my rights on the road are violated by other road users. That includes, for example, drivers failing to let me pass at pedestrian crossings, where they are legally REQUIRED to stop. Once, for example, a car flatly refused to stop and let me cross while I was already mad about something else, so I hit and broke the car’s window with something I had in my hand. Obviously the driver wasn’t too happy, but well, I put him in his place and went on – it’s his problem, if he doesn’t stop to let me cross (where he is required by law to do so) then he shouldn’t expect me to just be a sitting duck and smile at him – he should expect me to get mad and if he has to suffer the consequences then so be it.
In other words, don’t ever try to deny me my rights as a pedestrian, anywhere, ever, especially when I’m in a bad mood. I know my rights and I demand them. I am not a piece of dirt you can ignore and whose rights you can violate just because I am walking and you are in a car.
The worst of all are, in E”Y, the school minibus drivers. They feel they’re above the law – they’re allowed to break any law, ignore everyone else, treat pedestrians like dirt, while peddling around with their smelly ancient relics of vehicles. One time one of them almost ran me down at a pedestrian crossing (another incident), I hit the side of his van (it was empty), so the guy came out and started threatening to beat me…. for getting upset at him failing to stop where he was required to do so?! Again – what do these people expect, that I should simply give up my rights and ‘accept’ the fact that they continuously flout all rules and pretend I am dirt?
Well, ok, rant is over.
Anyway, here is the solution: let’s ALL just keep to traffic laws and all just be polite and courteous in traffic. Typically, the violent ‘road rage’ criminals are the traffic offenders themselves.
Something I personally enjoy now and then is watching police reality shows online (is this kefirah?). There are quite a few of them around the UK, Netherlands, Germany and other countries, though the UK ones focus more on crime while the Dutch ones focus on actual road/traffic violations. These shows really give you an insight into 1) what can go wrong, 2) why is this behavior wrong, 3) what can you do to change it. It makes you realize what risks you’re taking on the road, the things that can happen. You get to see it from another point of view.
For an example, search on Youtube (are we allowed to mention that name here?) for “ukpolice3”, there are tons of videos there (Motorway Cops, Traffic Cops, Brit Cops, Night Cops – also a couple of other things I don’t watch).
I think these shows should be required viewing, for at least 50 hours or so, for anyone who wants to obtain a license.