Antoniy DyankovProfessor Jim RoufusCOM 101 - 3006 21 June 2015 Topic:Road RageGeneral Purpose: To persuade.Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience that road rage should be avoided.Central Idea: In todays day and age we are still haunted by our barbaric baser instincts. But one of the main differences between now and when we lived as neanderthals, is the fact that we are able to affect more people with our actions. Road rage is one of the most easily addressed issues that endanger human lives; with a just a second breath and a second to clear ones mind, it is possible to avoid any problematic outburst that could put us in danger.

I.INTRODUCTIONA.Attention Getter- According to the Archives of General Psychiatry theres a disorder that affects about 16 million Americans over their lifetimes. Its officially known as intermittent explosive disorder, but most commonly known as road rage.

B.Thesis Statement-In todays day and age we are still haunted by our barbaric baser instincts. But one of the main differences between now and when we lived as neanderthals, is the fact that we are able to affect more people with our actions. Road rage is one of the most easily addressed issues that endanger human lives; with a just a second breath and a second to clear ones mind, it is possible to avoid any problematic outburst that could put us in danger.

C.Credibility1.I, myself happen to travel a lot to Henderson and most of the times I experience road rage, due to the fact that most 16-26 year olds are inexperienced and not taught the right way to drive.2.After researching this topic I have found that there are various ways of preventing road rage, but there are some ways that work better than others.

D.Internal Preview-Today I would like to go over the problems associated with road rage, some of the major causes, and various solutions that would help solving the problems.Transition:Lets start by reviewing the problems.

II.BODYA.Problems-1.Road rage is a major influence over car accidents in America. According to the NHTSA and the American Automobile Association there almost 13,000 people who have been injured or killed since 1990 in crashes caused by aggressive driving.a.According to statistics, that number has had a growing trend for the next 5 years or so as well.2.In some extreme cases, road rage leads to acts of unspeakable violence. When some drivers stand behind the wheel of a car, they forget that they think in front of them is a human being, case and point the Las Vegas February 2015 shooting.a. In a high tension road rage incident a young man stepped outside of his vehicle and shot Tammy Meyers point blank.Transition:Since weve gone through the problems associated with road rage, lets talk about the major causes.B.Causes-1. According to a research done by RAC Foundation, the main causes for road rage are tailgating and brake checking. a. To tailgate is the act of driving so closely behind (another vehicle) that one cannot stop or swerve with ease in an emergency.b.Brake checking is the illegal act of intentionally slamming your own brakes in order for another driver tailgating you to rear-end your own car.Transition:Now that we know the causes, lets go over the steps of not being a victim of aggressive drivers and also, how not to become one of them.C.Solution-There are really two types of solutions: one for the victim and one for the perpetrators.1.According to a story in the Journal Star newspaper of Peoria, IL, here are some suggestions that AAA makes as to how drivers can avoid being the target of road rage:a. You should not block the passing lane;b. You should maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you;c. First signal your intentions when changing lanes and make sure you don't cut someone off when you move over;d. Do not show obscene gestures;e. Use your horn sparingly;f. Avoid the right hand lane if you are not turning right;g. Don't take up more than one space when parking and don't park in a handicapped space;h. Keep your headlights on low beam and don't retaliate with high beams.

2.Now if on the other hand, you are the one late for work or just can't wait to get home from a long week at work you may want to consider these suggestions.a. Understand that you cannot control traffic, but you can control your reactions to it.b. Before reacting to another driver's mistake, ask yourself, How many times have I made the same mistake?c. Before starting anything, ask yourself, Is it worth getting injured or killed? Is it worth a fine, jail or a lawsuit?d. How stupid will you feel when you are pulled over and the other driver waves as they pass you down the road?Transition:Since weve went through various solutions, lets go over to the best solution.D.Best Solution-1.All solutions may vary from one situation to the next, who can predict the future after all. However, by remaining vigilant and always taking into account the solutions I have listed, it is possible to avoid road rage.Transition:And now to put it all in perspective.III.CONCLUSIONA. Internal Summary-Today, we have went over the problems associated with road rage, the major causes, and the solutions that help solving them.B.Restate Thesis-In todays day and age we are still haunted by our barbaric baser instincts. But one of the main differences between now and when we lived as neanderthals, is the fact that we are able to affect more people with our actions. Road rage is one of the most easily addressed issues that endanger human lives; with a just a second breath and a second to clear ones mind, it is possible to avoid any problematic outburst that could put us in danger.C.Call to Action-Now I bring it to you, the road is something that is meant to be shared and no one is more important than the next person's safety. By simply following my solutions and remaining calm, we can aim to stop road rage today!

Bibliography

Betts, Kellyn S. "Road RAGE?" Environmental health perspectives 119.3 (2011): 1. ProQuest. 22 June 2015."Road Rage: A Symptom Of Much More Than Bad Traffic?" NPR. NPR, 21 Dec. 2011. Web. 22 June 2015.Sidner, Sara. "Road Rage Suspect Knew Victim, Husband Says - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 20 Feb. 2015. Web. 22 June 2015.Kingsnorth, Paul. "Road Rage." The Ecologist 03 2007: 50-7. ProQuest. Web. 22 June 2015 ."Road Rage." VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever. Ed. Jim Craddock. 2011 ed. Detroit: Gale, 2011. 862. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 22 June 2015.Wienclaw, Ruth A. "Road Rage." The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health. Ed. Kristin Key. 3rd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2012. 1296-1297. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 22 June 2015.