Global Cycling Network (GCN) conducted an interview with Peter Norton, an associate professor of history in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia, discussing the causes of road rage between drivers and cyclists:
Notable Insights
Road design signals that the roads are designed for cars
Aggression is a result of design. Our roads have been designed first and foremost for cars, thus whenever there's a disruption in the smooth flow of traffic for motor vehicles, it is viewed as a nuisance!
“A lot of aggressive driving isn't merely the result of a driver who is impatient or entitled, it's also the reflection of an environment that is saying not, not in words, but in design that this space is for you, the driver, this space is designed for you to meet your needs and to make it possible for you to drive. And not just drive, but drive fast without having to pay a lot of attention.”
https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/tech/features/what-causes-road-rage-between-cyclists-and-drivers-we-asked-a-transport-historian
Years of conditioning have made the roads the property of drivers
Car ownership and usage became a culture in the United States. Through lobbying and pop culture, cars taking precedence on the roads became a key aspect of the American psyche.
“Generations have now grown up learning that the street is for automobiles to the point that you'll find pedestrians, often where they have the right of way, refusing to exercise the right of way merely because they've been so successfully trained that the street is always for the motorist,” Norton says.
https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/tech/features/what-causes-road-rage-between-cyclists-and-drivers-we-asked-a-transport-historian
Our current culture, shaped by past decisions in road design and marketing has placed cars ahead of pedestrians, leading to the friction witnessed on our roads. It's prompted drivers the belief that they deserve to move unimpeded, as fast as deemed safe by the driver, with little respect for their surrounding environment.
The cause of hostility between cyclists and drivers
“I think you're seeing the hostility that you always see whenever human beings have to compete for the same essential resource. So if food is scarce, people fight over food. If fresh drinking water is scarce, people will fight over fresh drinking water. Well, if safe, usable street capacity is scarce, people will fight over that too."
https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/tech/features/what-causes-road-rage-between-cyclists-and-drivers-we-asked-a-transport-historian
Moving Forward
"Drivers should not expect unrivaled access to the roads, and cannot feel justified when they feel anger and aggression. Piece by piece, we can dismantle the notion that roads are places for cars, and welcome in a transport revolution of the kind Peter Norton dreams of."
https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/tech/features/what-causes-road-rage-between-cyclists-and-drivers-we-asked-a-transport-historian