There is an interesting phenomenon that happens when people are in the car. Many people begin to feel relatively anonymous. They assume that no one knows who they are and they feel disconnected from those around them.
In fact, this is sometimes linked to road rage. If someone knew they were going to be identified, would they act in the same manner? If they had to speak to the other person face-to-face, would they be as aggressive? They probably wouldn’t, but the issue is that the road rage driver isn’t looking at the other person as a person. Instead, they are essentially looking at them as a vehicle. This separation can lead to conflicts on the road.
Does this happen to cyclists?
Yes, this phenomenon does happen to cyclists. Many drivers will break the law and make passes that are dangerously close, for example, simply, because they know that they will be past the cyclist in a few seconds, and they assume no one will ever know. They’re willing to risk someone else’s life because they don’t think they’ll get caught.
Additionally, there are drivers who tend to dislike cyclists as a group. They may act more aggressively around them because they don’t like to share the road. But this means that they are not considering those individual cyclists as people who could be injured in an accident. They are just looking at them as an “other” group that is an inconvenience to them as they drive.
These psychological factors do make the roads more dangerous. If you have been injured in an accident caused by another driver, then you need to know how to seek financial compensation.
