You do not have to have your windows down or use your voice to communicate with drivers on area roadways. Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski estimates that 25 percent of the communication we do every day lies within the words we say. The other 75 percent sits within non-verbal cues, especially while driving a vehicle. Tailgating, evasive maneuvers, and flashing lights are all ways motorists can communicate their mood and state of mind without being heard. Joski says it is important for us to realize that and try to fix ourselves internally if it shows up while we’re behind the wheel.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s 2019 data shows nearly 80 percent of drivers expressed significant anger or road rage behind the wheel at least once in the previous month. Driving more than 15 miles per hour over the speed limit on the freeway and preventing someone from merging in front of them were the most common ways the organization’s annual traffic safety culture index identified as aggressive driving behaviors.