Gun-toting Drivers Are More Prone To Road Rage

[Amnesia Wes]

Following are excerpts from an article in Popular Science Magazine's May 2006 article titled:

GUN-TOTING DRIVERS ARE MORE PRONE TO ROAD RAGE

(The following is not the complete article.)

"After cold-calling 2,459 American adults with an anonymous questionnaire, researchers from the Harvard Injury Control Research Center discovered that directing 'indecent' gestures at other motorists was significantly more common among suburb-anites (sic), binge drinkers, Northeasterners, those who think most people can't be trusted and, yes, those who admitted that they keep guns in their vehicles."

Also...

"The implication is that if lethal weapons are more readily accessible, hostile driving incidents could turn ugly more often."

There is more, I just can't type all of it.

In addition they had a FULL-PAGE four-color graphic of an irate driver leaning out his window snarling, with three hunting guns in a rear window gun rack.

I find this poor journalism and will write to PS. I hope some of you will also.

Wes.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[kd5nrh]

Following are excerpts from an article in Popular Science Magazine's May 2006 article titled:

GUN-TOTING DRIVERS ARE MORE PRONE TO ROAD RAGE

Thanks; I was thinking about getting a subscription, but this will save me a few bucks.

I'll spend that subscription cost on practice ammo instead.

[P95Carry]

I have no link but IIRC this was quite deeply discussed in a thread some weeks ago.

''Skewed'' was one word that came to mind

[ccw9mm]

... those who admitted that they keep guns in their vehicles."

It would be worth knowing whether they meant exactly this. Heck, folks keeping guns in their vehicles? Not a very mindful group, now, is it? Would have made a far better study had they polled folks that carried on their person while driving.

"... the Harvard Injury Control Research Center discovered that directing 'indecent' gestures at other motorists was significantly more common among ... those who admitted that they keep guns in their vehicles."

It would be interesting to know if they controlled for various groups' characteristics, in order to determine whether the activity had anything to do with being a member of the group (ie, gun-toting lead head). "Harvard" center, so one might think so. Unknown. If not, likely unspecified for "shock" value.

"The implication is that if lethal weapons are more readily accessible, hostile driving incidents could turn ugly more often."

The implication being: people should be disarmed for cause, despite the likely net gain in benefit due to folks being able to protect themselves from such predators.

[Team American]

Harvard Injury Control Research Center

Otherwise know as the "Boston Busy Bodies Bureau"

[Stetson]

All I can say is I disagree with this article.If anything we are taught
to use more restraint because we carry so this is bull and written for
a good story.

[sjones]

I am just the opposite,I know I can't be the one escalating the situation.I refuse to be baited into action I don't want to take,I will keep an eye on them just to see what they do,but not stare at them directly so they think I am pushing things.My wife says she has noticed that I'm more calm when I carry versus when I don't carry.I know the burden is on me when I carry. sj

[Old Chief]

Contrary to the news medias preception, ccw tends to keep the lid on situations that would otherwise get out of control. CCW calms most peoples involvement in potentially volitile situations that involve emotionally inmature antagonist. After all it takes two to esculate a situation. I do not respond to the one digit salutes often displayed by the mentally challenged populace found in todays society. Ignoring ignoramuses incapacitates their inmature actions by allowing them to think that they won the confrontation when they should be thankful that the Good Shephard is conducting them through the vally of the shadow...

[goawayfarm]

Anybody remember the old saying..............

"An armed society is a polite society"

There is a lot of truth in it.

Just ask yourself this one:

Am I more polite when I'm carrying a weapon than when I'm not carrying (or before I carried)?

We all know the answer is .....MORE POLITE. If you answer is less polite then maybe you should be rethinking your decision to carry.

We all know the ramifications of carrying & we should not want to escalate ANY situation. We also get a boost in our confidence, since we know we have a tool(s) at our disposal to deal with bad situations.

This so called 'survey' was conducted with a bias already built in. They got the results they wanted.

[JD]

That's a load of BS if I've ever heard it, I drive 3000 miles a month and I have no more road rage than I did before I started carrying....

I've seen some of te worst traffic, stupidest drivers (Including myself sometimes) and craziest things ever. I just crank up the radio to cover my ranting and raving and only flick the finger out of sight....

[Sonic Misfit]

First of all, only the people who are dumb enough to answer a questionnaire from the "researchers" were used. There is not enough information to find out how many people did not respond.

Every time I get asked to participate in a survey, I always say no because this is one method that identity thieves use to find "soft" targets. Since this is a "cold-calling" technique, they identified over 2,000 people dumb enough to give up sensitive information. This should automatically invalidate the study! Also, how anynomous is a questionnaire when someone knows your phone number? (Anyone ever heard of reverse phone directories?)

So much of Pop Sci is BS, that I cancelled my subscription years ago.

[tegemu]

I'd want to know if they also determined how many of the "gun toters", toted legally. I think illegal, as evidenced by their illegality, would be far more prone to Road Rage incidents.

[Amnesia Wes]

Personally, I find myself to be much more tolerant of inconsiderate drivers when I'm carrying.

I think it's because I know, that if it comes down to him or me, I have a tremendous lethal advantage.

And besides, whatever situation it was that caused him or me to get excited in the first place, was definitely not worth killing over.

As they say, don't sweat the small stuff...
All it will do, is put you in a bad mood.


Wes.

[Captain Crunch]

Popular Science is really behind the times.

It is not "Road Rage".

The PC terminology now is "Intermittent Explosive Disorder".

[Amnesia Wes]

CaptainCrunch;

I thought that was the name for Irritable Bowel Syndrome?


Wes.