The Expanding Landscape of Road Rage: A Systematic Review of Conflicts Involving Drivers, Pedestrians, and Micromobility

Authors: Easa SM* , Umeaka K , Zheng Y , Wang C , Ma Y , Yang Y , Lai Y and Wang S

DOI: 10.23880/eoij-16000344

Volume 9, Issue 4

Abstract

Road rage, characterized by aggressive behaviours among road users, has become a significant public health concern in urban transportation. This review, which shifts from a driver-centric to a multi-modal, systemic perspective, synthesized 135 empirical studies to examine road rage across multiple user groups, while also analyzing trends, contributing factors, and mitigation strategies. Studies were sourced from Scopus and included diverse road user types and methodologies, with experimental studies being the most common (39.3%), followed by observational (24.4%) and mixed methods approaches (20.7%). The research was mainly focused on China (32 studies) and the United States (16 studies), with 116 studies (85.9%) emphasizing driver behaviour. However, pedestrian (65 studies, 48.1%) and cyclist interactions (23 studies, 17.0%) are increasingly acknowledged. Environmental factors were the most frequently examined contributors (122 studies), with substantial statistical significance noted: 59.3% of effect sizes were large (≥ 0.5). Infrastructure modifications (64 studies) and education programs (46 studies) appeared as key intervention strategies, with 30 studies reporting successful outcomes. This review highlights the need for interdisciplinary approaches that include all road users and stresses the importance of standardized reporting, cultural factors, and rigorous evaluations to improve transportation safety.

Keywords: Road Rage; Aggressive Driving; Traffic Safety; Pedestrian Safety; Cyclist Safety; Micromobility; Urban Transportation; Traffic Psychology

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