Data by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states Connecticut is the second worst state when it comes to fatal crashes because of road rage.

Between 2017 and 2021, 7.56% of fatal crashes in the state happened because of angry drivers on the road. 

That statistic made Connecticut the second worst state in the country only behind Colorado.

Petra Amrein, an integrative health coach, explains the science behind road rage.

According to Amrein, individuals tend to get instantly provoked when they experience road rage.

She says people will already be irritated, and one bad interaction can lead to a major conflict.

"So, their brain sort of goes offline, they get dysregulated, and they are immediately in fight or flight," she said. 

Amrein suggests that when in road rage mode, individuals may become disconnected from themselves and may not act with who they truly are.

She says once people recognize that, they can bring themselves back to where they are.

"I am not fighting for my survival right now, I am in this car, so put your hands on the steering wheel, feel the seat, feel your back, and breathe," said Amrein. 

She says if you are on the receiving end, operate from a calm place if you are engaging with someone who has road rage. 

"It can be a little bit dangerous for you, you don’t want to engage, you don’t want to provoke them more, it could escalate very quickly," she said. 

Amrein says once people move past this situation, they should forgive themselves if their actions made them feel embarrassed. 

"Once you are out of the situation and know, oh OK, looking back on it, there might be guilt or shame - have some self-compassion, ‘I’m human welcome to the human race, I’ll do better next time,’" Amrein said.