We’ve all been frustrated by other drivers. Whether they drifted into your lane while on the phone, didn’t use their turn signal, cut you off, left their high beams on as you passed, or worse, driving has its share of frustrations. But what happens when simple frustration turns into more? If we aren’t careful, frustrated driving can quickly turn into road rage.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), road rage is when a driver “commits moving traffic offenses to endanger other persons or property; an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger of one motor vehicle on the operator or passengers of another motor vehicle.”
Here is just one of many incidences of recent road rage in the news:
The NHTSA and the Auto Vantage auto club compiled some chilling road rage statistics:
- 66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving.
- 37% of aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm.
- Half the drivers on the receiving end of an aggressive behavior admit to responding with aggressive behavior themselves.
- Over seven years, 218 murders and 12,610 injuries were attributed to road rage.
- 2% of drivers admit to trying to run an aggressor off the road
So, what should you do if you feel threatened by someone with road rage? First, stay calm and put away any distractions in your vehicle (cell phone, music, etc.) that might distract you from driving. If someone is tailgating you, change lanes. Stay behind the angry person and allow them to pass if they want to speed past you. Finally, don’t return any gestures, no matter how upset the person makes you. You’re only adding fuel to their fire.
With so many cars on the road, you’re bound to encounter someone who’s had a bad day, angry about a personal matter, or impatient. You must stay as calm as possible and focus on getting to your final destination safely. If you’ve been in a car accident involving someone with road rage, please get in touch with Eason & Tambornini today.
