A CSU Study Drew a Connection Between Bumper Stickers and Road Rage

Colorado State University did a study that found that drivers who decorate their vehicles with bumper stickers are more prone to road rage - even if their bumper sticker promotes world peace!  Do you notice this tie-in at all?

The American Automobile Association tells us the number of injuries more than doubled between 1995 and 2008 - from 12,000 to 25,000 annually - with deaths nearly double, climbing from 200 to 370.

Psychologist William Szlemko and his team at CSU attributed this greatly to the dramatic increase of vehicles on the road, which was 35% over a little more than a decade, while the amount of infrastructure only went up 1%.  In a situation of crowding, humans are said to naturally respond just like nearly any animal, which is with an increase of hostility.

Bumper stickers were only one indication of the higher likelihood of a person losing their cool at the wheel.  It seems people who add accessories to their vehicles in general - seat covers, special paint jobs, stereos and even plastic dashboard toys - were 16% more likely to show road rage.

No word on how often reading someone else's bumper sticker brings about this aggression.