Just how serious is road rage? According to one study, two-thirds of fatal car accidents involve aggressive driving. The main issue is the people who have road rage, but a close second is the poor reaction of many people around them. Learn how to respond to road rage, and remember that if you are injured in a car accident in which someone else was at fault, you can contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for a free legal consultation.
Ignore Them
The answer to this question is actually very simple: if you come across a driver who is clearly exhibiting signs of road rage, then it is best to back off and ignore them. Do not return their rude gestures. Do not try to cut them off. Do not honk at them. Simply pull over or slow down, let them go on with their day, and you go on with yours. This is the best way to prevent becoming a victim of their rage.
Unfortunately, about half of people who experience another person who has road rage report that they respond with their own aggressive behavior, such as honking at them, making a rude gesture, or tailgating. This might sound innocent but know that more than one in three aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm. It is just not worth it.
Know Whom to Look For
While any person is capable of road rage, there are certain drivers who are more likely to have road rage than others. For example, men and drivers in the age range of 19 to 39 are much more likely to engage in road rage. Does this mean that all men or all drivers in that age range have road rage? No. Does it mean that a woman in her 80s can’t exhibit signs of road rage? No, but it does give you an idea of who is most likely to do so.
Road Rage Can Have Terrible Consequences
A study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety in 2016 found some truly terrifying statistics:
- 0.7% of drivers said they regularly block other vehicles from changing lanes
- 0.3% of drivers said they regularly cut other vehicles off on purpose
- 0.1% of drivers said they regularly bump or ram other vehicles purposely
- 2% of drivers said they have intentionally tried to drive someone off the road
These statistics are truly terrifying. When you consider how common this issue is, and how serious any car accident can be, it is easy to see that road rage leads to accidents every day. It is important that you ignore these drivers so that you can become part of the solution – not part of the problem.
