Husband and Road Rage - Please HELP

I would let him know this bothers you and you choose not to get in the car with him until he gets into an anger management program. If you say this you have to stick to what you say or it means nothing.

It is up to you.

Good luck.

N. Marie

K.,
you need to sit down with him and have a serious talk. Let him know how you are not happy with this situation and ask him to seek professional help. If this only happens while driving and you don't know how it started or what triggers it, what assures you that it won't happen at home next with you and the children. He surely needs professional help and he needs to get it now.
If you have no other choice and he doesn't want to listen to you then you might have to give him an ultimatum.
Your children should not be exposed to that, remember that they learn by behavior and by example.
Blessings

Sounds like more than just road rage, he has a MAJOR ANGER ISSUE.What is he so angry about? Himself, his life, his job, his health,.....
He needs to rethink his behavior and the possible consequences. There are crazy people out there who wouldn'tthink twice about attacking him physically, with fists or another vehicle. And he could be the cause of someone attacking you and /or your child. Does he realize that in most places, there is such a thing as verbal assualt, and he could face charges or being arrested. Doesn't look good to have this on a record.

Not to mention, what he's teaching your child and the effect it's having on you? Would he want someone to talk to or gesture you like that? He doesn't seem to realize it makes him look/sound like a real nut case. Maybe you can talk to him (if he's ready to step up to the plate) ,bring these things up and suggest he think before he speaks. He really needs to figure out where this is all coming from and work on fixing the issues. This isn't just road rage, it's coming from somewhere deeper. Counseling could help. HOPE HE IS OPEN TO LISTENING FOR ALL YOUR SAKES.

Best of Luck, C. S.

This sounds like more than road rage. He sounds like he needs an anger management program ASAP. You can't force him to go unfortunately...you can only see if he will go willingly. Or see if he can react differently than violent or by things teaching your children bad habits.

For instance- someone pisses me off on the road---instead of flicking them off---I tend to beep and smile and wave. Or stick my tongue out at them. Or I feel really like I have to flip them the bird...I will but out of sight like down next to my leg. That way not only am I not teaching my daughter bad things...I'm also not ticking off some potential psycho in the other car. It did take me time to stop getting so angry at others in the car though. There are people out there that just suck at driving and are stupid----but it took me time to realize there's NOTHING I can do about it. There's no point getting bent out of shape and so upset. I certainly stopped when I had my daughter---- her safety and well-being are my #1 priority (as your children and you should be your husbands).

That guy getting out of the car could have killed you or harmed you and for what??? What really was such a big deal to get into an argument like that? Tailgating, speeding, just being dumb....doesn't matter....he needs to learn to just let it go. And seriously---I've found sticking my tongue out or smiling and waving makes me feel better than flicking someone off.

Good luck. :) But yes definitely I would not be getting in to a car with him and my children until he chills out.

I am so sorry to hear you are going through this. It is scary. Especially with your kids in the car. I would not call the police. No good will come of that and they can't force him into a program without there being some sort of altercation he's been found guilty of. However, I would research the best place/doctor/class that your health plan provides or possibly a free one in your area. You could call your health plan and inqire about Anger Management classes. Also ask him to schedule an appt w/a counselor (Psychologist). I would not let him drive your kids around if at possible. Good luck and take care!

Talk to him about an anger management course and also pursue having motorcycle-mounted officers stationed near your intersection. You'd be surprised how much improvement can happen when just a few folks get tickets :) If you're having trouble getting an officer stationed you can videotape the intersection for a few hours during the worst time of the day and then request citations to be mailed to offenders. Some cities are doing that nowadays.

He needs to get into an anger management program. Seriously, I think it would benefit him in life in general. I wouldn't get into a car with him again until he signs up. He's putting your life and that of your children at risk with his actions.

I agree with those who have said it sound like your husband's problem goes beyond road rage. What was he so upset about that caused him to give the finger to that passing driver?
Anything you can do to get him into an anger management program would be good.
You might also want to see if you can speak to his doctor about this. Perhaps there is a medical or mental/emotional issue that could be helped by medication.
Whatever happens as far as getting him the needed help is concerned, I would definitely be the driver of the car and not ride with him driving or allow the children to ride with him driving until he gets control of this problem.
Hopefully, you can find a way to help him deal with this without having to resort to taking your children and leaving him. However if the anger turns on you and the children, you may definitely need to get away, at least for a time, while he gets the necessary help.

Sounds scary K., and it's oh so dangerous when people cant control their temper. My husband was like that too in his younger years, and while he was busy flipping off a guy that had pulled out in front of him he ended up rear ending a parked car and found himself in the hospital. That pretty much cured him. That's the HARD way to learn tho. Your husband may have some other underlying issures such as bipolar disorder and may need medication to mellow him out some.
You do need to draw a line in the sand tho and you shouldnt endanger yourself or your children by allowing him to drive, you should do all of the driving until he comes to grip with his road rage. If you do have to leave him for a time, sometimes that wakes them up too. It's not easy to have to change your whole life in order to get a point across, but if you love him and want to have a future with him and he feels the same way, then you will have to do tough love on him. Just promise yourself that you and your kids will not be a passenger in the car with him ever, you are worth more than that.

Geez that really sucks. Theres obviously more going on there than just the road rage..if hes working long long hours and commutes for hours like you said, that's probably not helping his anger level. Have you though about moving someplace that's not near a busy intersection (studies have shown living near busy streets raises stress levels) and/or moving to a place thats closer to his work (assuming you dont work as well). Try minimizing his stress levels as well as getting him to seek counseling for his anger issues. Good luck,

Unfortunately, the police cannot make your husband do a program; they can't make anyone do anything. But you might want to do some online research and print some articles about people who have been killed because of road rage incidents. Not only auto accidents, but straight out homicide because someone pulled a gun and shot the other driver. If your husband were to do something like that let's say in Richmond or Oakland, he'd be extremely lucky if he wasn't shot. It sounds like your husband has some anger issues that need to be addressed before he and/or someone else gets hurt. My last thought is that I don't think you should allow your child to go with your husband when he's driving because he is truly an accident waiting to happen!

Road rage in many cases will get you killed... and it's not worth it. If your husband has road rage, I'm inclined to think that maybe he is a hot head in general. Anger management course might help. Maybe if you called your local police and spoke to them, they could give you suggestions. Another thought is counseling so he can learn to vent his anger elsewhere.

If you have Kaiser insurance, they offer angerr management classes through the Health Ed dept.

You need to take your children and get away from this person you call your husband and your children's father and leave him. He shows no sign of respect to you and his family and what happens the next time his road rage happens - you get shot?! Not to be mean but men that do not know how to handle anger need to learn the hard way that force and threats of force do not run this world.
I am sorry to be so adamant about this but I too am in a relationship with a person that uses violence to "get his way" and right now the more I see MEN do not know how to live in our society, the more I see that us WOMEN shall reign above them all. You will find much support away from him and a better life too. You can do it and I will too!