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Feeling road rage set on? Instagram trends reveal you’re not alone

Of all the anger-inducing activities in our 21st century world, few manage to elicit the level of fury we feel behind the wheel. Road rage, that all-consuming, unthinking, truly terrifying moment of unbridled wrath, is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon — so much so, that it’s a trending theme on social media. As per the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), we’ve seen a notable rise in the the number of fatal accidents caused by road rage or aggressive driving since 2004. And with the advent of social media, companies like the Auto Insurance Center are able to better track when and where road rage is happening most, with hopes of mitigating their effects.

In a recent study, the Auto Insurance Center analyzed 65,535 Instagram posts hashtagged #RoadRage with the hopes of discovering where, when, and why drivers in the U.S. were most upset. As it turns out, August is the worst month when it comes to angry drivers. With summer vacations often leading to more cars on the road, motorists have more fodder for their fury. July comes in at a close second, again lending to the notion that driving in the summer is the worst.

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

In terms of days of the week, Sunday is apparently the least stressful day, but as the week progresses, people behind the wheel get antsier and antsier. By Friday, road rage posts have peaked, seeing nearly 10,500 Instagram hashtags. But by the weekend, people have found their roadway zen again. “The low rate of posts on weekends may point to a clear correlation between commuter-filled roads and incidents of anger,” the insurance company writes. Similarly, the time of day when road rage is most prevalent is in the rush hour as commuters try to make their way home from a busy workday. From 5 to 7 p.m., people are particularly angry with their fellow drivers.

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

So where is road rage the worst? Curiously, drivers in Hawaii, a state that one might expect to be a bit more laid back about driving (and just about everything), suffer most from road rage. But when you consider that traffic in Honolulu was recently ranked third-worst in the nation, and Hawaii is a hotbed for tourists, the frustration makes a bit more sense.

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Still, as bad as Honolulu may be, it’s nothing when compared to Los Angeles and New York, the two cities that unsurprisingly logged the most #RoadRage posts. Curiously, Mount Pleasant in North Carolina came in at number three, suggesting a potential misnomer for the city.

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Ultimately, the Auto Insurance Center concludes, “True road rage — characterized by violence, injury, and even death — is a sobering issue about which true offenders are not likely to post on social media.” So what can you do to avoid these feelings? The agency suggests that you can “allow for extra time in case you run into delays, adjust your schedule to avoid driving through the worst traffic, and listen to music while you drive. If you start to feel angry, it’s vital to relax, breathe deeply, and consider taking a break to stretch your legs or sip some water.”

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

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Tesla just scrapped the Cybertruck range extender
Tesla CEO Elon Musk behind the wheel of a Cybertruck.

The writing was pretty much on the wall for the Cybertruck range extender last month when Tesla removed the option from its website. Now, it’s officially scrapped it and is refunding the $2,000 deposits that customers put down for the $16,000 battery pack. 

“We are no longer planning to sell the range extender for Cybertruck," Tesla said in a message to customers on Wednesday, adding, "As a result, we will be refunding your deposit in full.”

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Zoox recalls robotaxis after Las Vegas crash, citing software fix
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Amazon's self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, has issued a voluntary safety recall after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a minor collision in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in April 2025, led the company to investigate and identify a software issue affecting how the robotaxi anticipates another vehicle’s path.
The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
Zoox’s robotaxis, which operate without driving controls like a steering wheel or pedals, are part of Amazon’s entry into the autonomous driving space. According to Zoox’s safety recall report, the vehicle failed to yield to oncoming traffic while making an unprotected left turn, leading to a low-speed collision with a regular passenger car. While damage was minor, the event raised flags about the system’s behavior in complex urban scenarios.
Establishing safety and reliability remain key factors in the deployment of the relatively new autonomous ride-hailing technology. Alphabet-owned Waymo continues to lead the sector in both safety and operational scale, with services active in multiple cities including Phoenix and San Francisco. But GM’s Cruise and Ford/VW-backed Argo AI were forced to abandon operations over the past few years.
Tesla is also expected to enter the robotaxi race with the launch of its own service in June 2025, leveraging its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. While FSD has faced heavy regulatory scrutiny through last year, safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration.
Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.

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