When I think of road rage, I imagine immature battles between two cars on the expressway, a bicyclist giving the finger to a distracted automobile driver in a hurry (or vice versa), even an urban pedestrian righteously staring down a turning taxi cab in a crosswalk. But I've never really considered road runner rage -- the moment when a runner bangs both fists down on the hood of that car in a decidedly fight, not flight, response.

According to this article in the NYT, road runner rage happens. After reading a couple experts weigh in, I'm thinking a near collision with a car does not so much provoke a runner's existing life resentments as it triggers an instantaneous defense response fed by fear. Three-thousand pounds of steel is enough to flutter the heart of any 170-pound wiry runner in shorts and Sauconys. If I were in those sneakers, I might emit a blinding flash of Looney Tunes rage, too.

In the end, a Runner vs. Driver conversation gets us nowhere. Rather, we need to figure out a way to safely co-exist within a road system that was not designed to accommodate both parties. Commenters to the NYT story offered terrific suggestions for runners, such as:

• Don a reflective vest, bright clothing and a blinking light for dawn/dusk runs
• Watch out for cars turning right -- they don't always look
• Carry a small flashlight and shine it at cars on corners so they can see you
• Foster friendships with cars by rewarding good behavior -- friendly wave, kind smiles
• Being 'dead' right isn't worth it -- give drivers right of way at all times
• Think flight, not fight -- always have an escape route
  
  

How do you stay safe from road runner rage, runner or driver?

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A couple of days ago 24-year-old cyclist Amanda Annis was struck and killed in Chicago's Logan Square. The driver of the car was cited for multiple violations. Ten days before her death, 22-year-old Tyler Fabeck was struck and killed on his bicycle in the same neighborhood. Absolute tragedies.

Today I came across an interesting commentary by Kevin Williams discussing the rage between cars and bikes. He says both cars and cyclists are often driving irresponsibly angry, but in the end, the invention of the wheel is to blame. That round wheel sparks a life of racing around. He contends walking does not elicit the same type of competitiveness as people on wheels -- no one's tossing around the phrase "ped rage." One expert studying driver psychology shared people are trained to feel anger on the roads. It's cultural practice to stay tough and make sure no one makes a fool out of you out there.

I spent nearly ten years working in downtown Chicago, commuting about half the time from the north side, the other half from the suburbs. I've walked, jogged, cycled and driven around the city. I have to disagree with Williams that the round wheel is to blame. I think it's our incredibly hurried, harried lives that crank up the "get there now at all costs" mentality of many. Ped rage is undoubtedly real -- I've been guilty of it -- but it typically involves a bump or a trip and usually a "sorry." Three-thousand pounds of car slamming into a lightweight bicycle frame and its rider leads to serious injury and death.

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That stressed out feeling that you get while sitting in traffic may be more than a reaction that being late to work. Researchers recently discovered that exposure to diesel fumes has an effect on how the brain processes information.

Diesel fumes are a known health hazard, implicated for respiratory and cardiovascular problems. But those tiny particles of soot can also lodge in the brain, and just 30 minutes sitting in a fume-filled room caused changes on study participants' EEGs.

Whether or not these changes pose a serious health risk, researchers can't yet say. I'm wondering if there are steps that commuters can take to improve the indoor air quality of their vehicle. Does anyone have any suggestions?

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When I read about Yoga in the Car, I laughed out loud. My car got rear-ended last summer -- hard -- by some kid who was paying more attention to his cell phone than he was to the road. The last thing drivers today need are more distractions.

But after reading this review of the CD, I can at least see the logic behind Yoga in the Car. In fact, there's a warning label right on the CD that tells users only to use it in bumper to bumper traffic -- kind of like your own personal road rage prevention system. Reducing stress is always good for your health, and traffic backups are enough to make anyone's blood pressure rise.

Between refereeing arguments from the back seat and the children's music blaring on my CD player, my car is the last place I'd consider trying to focus on my inner peace. But if you find yourself stuck in traffic, reaching your boiling point, Yoga in the Car may be for you. (Just be careful, ok?)

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I live in Austin, where rapid population growth and relatively poor planning have led to some very congested roads. Add that to the fact that Texans drive like crazy people, and you have yourself a recipe for some serious aggression behind the wheel.

This is echoed across the country, as roads become increasingly blocked up, and commute times growing longer every year.

But many aspects of life are stressful, so what is it about driving that sends us over the edge?

For one, there's no escape. According to psychologist interviewed by MSNBC, "Stress is a fight-or-flight reaction." And while we can normally step away from a situation to cool down, there's nowhere to go when stress takes hold in the car.

Regardless of why it happens, anger behind the wheel is unhealthy -- not to mention dangerous. In order to reduce the likelihood that you'll succumb to road rage, follow these tips:

-Make yourself more physically comfortable
-Distract yourself with something soothing -- like an audio book
-Take deep breaths
-Remember that everyone -- including you -- makes mistakes behind the wheel
-Rushing might save you 5 minutes, but an accident could kill you
-Realize that you're not invulnerable, nor anonymous just because you're in your car

For more in-depth explanations behind these driving tips, read this helpful article by Patrick Enright.

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We all have enough stress at work without experiencing it to and from work on top of things. Learning to relax and let things go isn't easy, but trying the following tips may help you have a better and less tense commute:

Start off by taking a breather. Make a conscious effort to relax and set the right atmosphere for yourself -- be calm on purpose. This one surprised me, but believe it or not being calm and creating that atmosphere really will be a lot easier in a luxury vehicle. Going into debt over a buying pricey vehicle won't reduce stress for most of us, but if it does happen to be an option for you then by all means, consider it.

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Yesterday I discovered this upsetting piece over at Men's Health on the top 100 angry cities in the United States. Not that anyone should be getting worked up when finding their city ranks pretty high on the anger scale, but it's scary to say the least. For me personally, happy and healthy living also comes from happy, healthy surroundings in your circle of friends and from the individuals in your community. That's just my own personal opinion.

This Men's Health list ranks cities by factors like percentage of men with high blood pressure, FBI rates of aggravated assaults, Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers on workplace deaths from assaults and other violence in addition to road rage. My city certainly didn't make the top ten. Tampa, FL came in close at 12th, but considering several other cities in Florida made the tops it kind of bums me out. Orlando takes the top at number one. Imagine the tourism hotspot just burning up red-hot and mad with angry folks. Nearby St. Petersburg, FL ranks second, which doesn't really seem to surprise me. Miami and Jacksonville also make the top ten. It looks as though the Sunshine State isn't so sunny and cheerful after all. Go see where your city ranks.

(Honolulu, Hawai'i pictured above comes in at #64.)

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