Road Rage Information that could save your life
Definition of Road Rage
The term Road Rage was coined by local news station KTLA in Los Angeles after a string of shootings occurred on several freeways in the city.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines road rage as when a driver
"commits moving traffic offenses so as 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".
The NHTSA makes a clear distinction between road rage and aggressive driving, where the former is a criminal charge and the latter a traffic offense. This definition places the blame on the driver.
Interesting Road Rage Statistics
The following statistics compiled from the NHTSA and the Auto Vantage auto club show that aggressive driving and road rage are causing serious problems on our roads.
66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving.
37% of aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm.
Males under the age of 19 are the most likely to exhibit road rage.
Half of drivers who are on the receiving end of an aggressive behavior, such as horn honking, a rude gesture, or tailgating admit to responding with aggressive behavior themselves.
Over a seven year period, 218 murders and 12,610 injuries were attributed to road rage.
One scary statistic worth noting is: 2% of drivers admit to trying to run an aggressor off the road!
How to Handle Road Rage
If you find that you have agitated another driver, whether the fault is truly yours or not, do not react or retaliate to the other driver on the road. This will only cause the situation to escalate. Remind yourself that the other driver is just bad at handling stress, avoid eye contact and continue to practice safe driving habits.
Unfortunately, it does not look like this problem is going away any time soon. All you can do is be a considerate, aware driver that follows the rules of the road. While it may be difficult in the heat of the moment, do not give in to feelings of anger or rage on the road.
Think twice before you honk the horn or flip that finger, because you never know what may set off the person in the cars around you. Getting home safely is more important than teaching someone a dangerous lesson.
5 most common cars involved in road rage
BMW 34%
Land Rover 32%