During the summer months, the number of road rage incidents skyrocket.
SAN ANTONIO — Summer has officially begun. We saw record breaking temperatures as early as May. One of the warnings we talk about a lot is heat stroke, but did you know overheating our bodies can impact our brains, leading to more aggressive behavior, including road rage?
Not just road rage itself, but also slower reaction time making driving abilities suffer, adding to the threat of anger on the asphalt.
“We have inflammation that is created when you overheat yourself. So inflammation impacts the brain. and of course, one of the main signs of inflammation in the brain, is what we call is science cognitive decline,” said Dr. Fab Mancini. a healthy living expert.
A study in the publication Indoor Air looked three dozen healthy people in Shanghai who were given standard office tasks.
The study found cognitive performance declined as temperatures got warmer, by up to 10 percent with a seven to eight degree swing. Another study in the Journal of Criminal Justice in 28 cities found warm days resulted in 4% increase in robberies, a 9% increase in aggravated assaults, and a 19% increase in homicides.
That aggression results in more trouble on the tollway too.
“All you have to do is drive in the highway and you will see people become very impatient,” Dr. Mancini added.
Even if you have that patience, others may not.
“All of a sudden if you’re going too slow, going to fast, they’re honking they’re doing all kinds of hand gestures. And that’s just all signs of too much heat in the body,” Dr. Mancini said.
Dr. Mancini says recognizing the change in your mind is imperative to avoiding car ride conflict.
“Just become aware, is anything changing just because the weather around you is changing, and also make sure that you recognize if it is, let’s do something about it,” Dr. Mancini said.
Dr. Mancini also says if it feels like the heat is making our minds melt, to take a piece of ice and hold it where you feel your pulse to help cool the body and the brain back down.