I have a theory.

I don't have any studies to back this up. I don't even know if anyone else has noticed it. But after years of driving, watching traffic, dashcam compilations, and police body camera videos, I've started seeing a pattern that I can't unsee.

People with fluffy, fuzzy, or bedazzled steering wheel covers seem to be wildly overrepresented among the absolute craziest drivers.

Hear me out.

I'm not talking about someone who accidentally cuts you off or gets annoyed in traffic. I'm talking about the people screaming through their windows, brake-checking strangers, weaving through traffic, arguing with police, or starring in those "you won't believe what happened next" dashcam videos.

And it isn't just online.

I've had my fair share of encounters with aggressive drivers—people tailgating me for no reason, driving recklessly, or raging because I wasn't going as fast as they wanted. More than once, when I happened to glance over, I noticed the same thing: a fluffy steering wheel cover or one sparkling with rhinestones.

For some reason, when the camera finally points inside the car...

...there's a fluffy pink steering wheel.

Or a rhinestone-covered one sparkling like a disco ball.

Every. Single. Time.

Now, before anyone comes after me, I know this isn't scientific. There are probably thousands of perfectly kind, reasonable people driving around with fuzzy steering wheel covers. And I'm sure plenty of road-raging lunatics have plain black steering wheels.

Maybe it's confirmation bias. Maybe I only remember the examples that fit my theory. Or maybe people who decorate every inch of their cars also tend to have more expressive personalities. I honestly don't know.

I just know that once I noticed it, I couldn't stop noticing it.

So now, whenever I pull up next to a car with a bedazzled or fluffy steering wheel, a tiny voice in my head says, "Maybe give this one a little extra room."

Am I the only one who's noticed this, or has anyone else seen the same pattern?

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After writing this, a friend of mine discovered something interesting!

There actually is psychological research suggesting that people who heavily personalize their cars—or see them as an extension of themselves—may be more prone to aggressive driving. The studies focused on things like bumper stickers and vehicle personalization, not fluffy or rhinestone steering wheel covers specifically. So maybe my theory isn't really about the steering wheel at all. Maybe it's just one more way people personalize their cars. If that's the case, perhaps the steering wheel isn't causing the craziness—it's just another clue that the driver has a stronger personal attachment to their vehicle.

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•Associating your car with your identity can lead to aggressive driving

Associating your car with your identity can lead to aggressive driving