Road Rage 2023 - Most everything you need to know
Last Updated: September 9, 2021 |
Road rage is an epidemic that has the potential to affect every driver on the road, whether you’re an aggressor or victim. Aggressive driving can lead to death or injury, but it can often be avoided. Learn more about important road rage statistics and information and what you can do to avoid aggressive driving and becoming a victim of road rage.
How to Avoid Road Rage
While aggressive drivers are everywhere, the most dangerous road rage incidents happen when two or more drivers have aggressive responses to each other. Getting cut off in traffic can quickly escalate to further aggression if you choose to honk or gesture at another driver.
Even if you’ve been subjected to rude or aggressive driving behaviors, it’s important that you don’t respond in kind. Think twice before laying on your horn or making a rude gesture, and you can avoid provoking road rage.
Use these tips to slow down, calm down, and stay safe even with aggressive drivers on the road:
- Practice polite driving habits: Avoid tailgating, cutting off other vehicles, speeding, weaving, leaving high beam headlights on, and erratic braking. Don’t drive in the left lane slower than the rest of traffic. Merge politely, and always err on the side of being courteous. This is smart to do not just to avoid road rage, but to make driving easier and more pleasant for every motorist.
- Slow down: Simply let aggressive drivers go around you and typically, they will quickly be on their way.
- Get away from aggressive drivers: If you notice a driver with aggressive behavior, get some distance between you, whether you slow down and let them get ahead or change lanes so you’re not right next to each other.
- Don’t make rude gestures or yell at other drivers: Remember, you’re not the police, and it’s not your job to remind others how to drive, even if they’re doing a terrible job. Avoid making eye contact with an aggressive driver who is trying to pick a fight.
- Use your horn sparingly: Horns should primarily be used in emergency situations. Tap your horn lightly if you need to get a driver’s attention, and give drivers ahead of you at lights a few extra seconds of grace before honking to remind them to move through the intersection.
- Call a road rage hotline: Many states now have aggressive driver hotlines that you can call to report aggressive drivers. Instead of confronting an aggressive driver, simply let the authorities know about their actions and how they can be found.
- Avoid making driving a competitive sport: You’re not a race car driver — you don’t have to win on the road. In fact, winning as a regular driver is simply getting home safe. Getting worked up over a vehicle that’s cut you off or gotten in your way somehow isn’t worth it. Remember: getting home safely is more important than teaching another driver a lesson.
- Apologize if you’ve done something wrong: If you’ve accidentally cut off another driver, braked too fast, or made some other mistake that could be offensive, simply smile and wave as an apology. This will disarm and calm most drivers.
- Don’t drive under distress: Avoid driving if you’re angry, upset, or drowsy.
- Adjust your driving attitude: Give other drivers the benefit of the doubt. Many mistakes are unintentional and not meant as a personal offense. Consider whether responding aggressively is worth being injured or killed.
- Have reasonable expectations about your travel time: Know when you’ll be driving in traffic, give yourself plenty of time, and don’t set unreasonable expectations for how fast you’ll get to your destination.
- Call 911 if you’re under attack: If an aggressive driver attacks you, call 911 right away and stay on the phone with the dispatcher. Consider driving to the nearest police station, convenience store, or other public location with witnesses. Do not drive home.
Road Rage Statistics
Road rage can be dangerous, even deadly. There have been more than 1,000 deaths from road rage within the last decade, and fatal road rage accidents continue to increase significantly. Consider these statistics on road rage, including deaths, common behaviors, and factors that contribute to aggressive driving:
- Since 2008, almost 1,500 people have been killed in crashes involving road rage and aggressive driving (NHTSA)
- Fatal accidents involving road rage have increased nearly tenfold since 2004 (NHTSA)
- In 2013, 247 fatal accidents indicated road rage or aggression as a contributing factor (NHTSA)
- 60 percent of motorists believe unsafe driving is a personal threat to them and their families (NHTSA)
- 75 percent of motorists believe it’s very important to do something about unsafe driving (NHTSA)
- 30 percent of drivers have felt that their personal safety was at risk while driving within the last month (NHTSA)
- 37% of aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm (NHTSA)
- 62 percent of drivers who are considered unsafe report they have not been stopped by a police officer within the past year (NHTSA)
- 86 percent of drivers don’t believe it’s extremely dangerous to drive 10 miles per hour over the speed limit (NHTSA)
- 2 percent of aggressive drivers admit to trying to run other vehicles off of the road (NHTSA)
- On average, at least 1,500 people are injured or killed every year in the United States due to aggressive driving (AAA)
- Most aggressive drivers are between the ages of 18 to 26, but there are still many cases of perpetrators from 26 to 50 years old (AAA)
- Aggressive drivers are often young, poorly educated males. They may have criminal records, histories of violence, drug or alcohol problems and may be experiencing an emotional or professional setback (AAA)
- Aggressive drivers also include successful men and women who have no known histories of crime, drug or alcohol abuse, or violence (AAA)
- Weapons have been used in more than 4,000 aggressive driving incidents, including firearms, knives, and clubs — as well as vehicles (AAA)
- Thousands of mentally and emotionally disturbed drivers are on the roadways today. Motorists in every state have murdered or seriously injured other drivers for unimportant reasons, including stolen parking spaces, honking, and making rude gestures (AAA)
- Millions of motorists are armed with weapons including firearms and knives. There are more than 200 million firearms in the United States and many are carried by drivers (AAA)
Road rage and aggressive driving behaviors include:
- Following too closely
- Driving at excessive speeds
- Weaving through traffic
- Cutting off other vehicles
- Honking without cause
- Running stop lights and signs
- Erratic braking
- No turn signal
- Inappropriate lane usage
- Flashing headlights at slow drivers
- Sporadic speed or sudden acceleration
- Using a vehicle as a barrier
- Gesturing or yelling at another driver
- Chasing other vehicles
- Getting out of a vehicle to threaten another driver
- Intentionally hitting another vehicle or person
- Driver confrontations, physical assault, and murder
Aggressive driving is a traffic violation, but escalated road rage is a criminal offense. Want to brush up on your skills for free? Try DMV-Written-Test.com.
Factors that lead to road rage and aggressive driving include:
- Running late
- Traffic delays
- Anonymity
- Disregard for the law
- Habitual or clinical behaviors
- Disregard for others
15 additional Ways to Avoid Road Rage
by Abigail Blake on
January 18, 2019
Road rage is an extension of aggressive driving, and everyone is susceptible to it or has seen it at least once while on the road. A driver’s uncontrolled anger or rage at the actions of another driver resulting in aggressive or violent behavior constitutes as road rage. This differs from aggressive driving in that it escalates into actions such as intentionally hitting another vehicle, running someone off the road, stopping to engage in a physical confrontation, and even using a weapon.
According to the AAA Foundation of for Traffic Safety, the majority of aggressive-drivers-turned-road-ragers are younger male drivers. Still, everyone is susceptible to road rage, especially if the individual is under stress or frustrated in other parts of his or her life. Traffic congestion can contribute to the stressed, anxious feelings, which can potentially burst into road rage when it appears as though a fellow driver has intentionally or unintentionally acted aggressively. If you’re wondering if you’re prone to road rage, ask yourself these questions:
· Do you often drive faster than the speed limit or try to beat red lights because you’re always in a hurry?
· Do you flash your high beams or drive close behind another driver if you feel like they’re moving too slow?
· Do you lay on the horn often?
· Do you make rude gestures or communicate angrily at other drivers?
If you answered yes to these questions, and do so frequently, you might have a tendency to road rage. Road rage is a criminal charge; aggressive driving is a lesser traffic offense, but both are dangerous. Read on if you know you’re susceptible to road rage, or want to know what to do to when you encounter a road rager.
10 Ways to Prevent Road Rage
1. Listen to relaxing music: Listening to relaxing music can really help, especially if you start feeling stressed, frustrated, or angry. Concentrate on breathing and avoid aggressive or triggering thoughts. Focus on thinking about neutral topics unrelated to external driving conditions.
2. Be sure to get enough sleep. Driving without sufficient rest can contribute to irritability and being quick to anger. On top of making you more susceptible to road rage, sleepiness can be dangerous while driving. No one wants tired eyes to close while on the road.
3. Leave earlier to go to places. People become more-easily frustrated when they feel like they’re running out of time. The stress of lateness can feel extra aggravating when hitting red lights or traffic. If caught in traffic, it helps to accept you’re running late and try to relax from there.
4. Remember road-sharing mentality. Particularly in traffic, recall that everyone else around you is stuck waiting too. You’ll want to uphold behaviors that keep conditions safe for all drivers. Recall that nobody’s perfect, but you’re all expected to comply with laws to navigate the road safely.
5. Maintain space between you and other drivers. Aggressive driving often shows up as tailgating and driving too-close-for-comfort to other travelers. Leave plenty of room. Anticipate other drivers making mistakes — if you’re too close, someone slamming on the brakes could cause an accident.
6. Be aware of your driving and triggers. Start paying attention to what makes you mad on the road, whether that be driving-specific situations or issues outside the car that filter into your driving. Note how long you stay angry in these circumstances. Recognizing them can help you avoid those conditions and approach them more positively when they occur.
7. Refrain from eye-contact and obscene gestures. Allowing yourself to angrily act out at another driver may incite them toward aggressive behavior as well. Additionally, removing your focus from the road creates another safety hazard.
8. Avoid verbally venting frustrations. Shouting out frustrations may not be as cathartic as you’d expect. Venting can actually increase feelings of frustration and danger.
9. Put photos or soothing images on your dashboard. Without placing them in a spot that obstructs your view in any way, seeing photos of loved ones or favorite places can calm you down if you start to grow angry. You want to drive safely to make it back to these people, pets, or places.
10. Consider the cost. If money is a good deterrent, accident damage and criminal charges are not cheap. Even if no one gets hurt following a road rage incident, tickets, lawyers, and insurance rates can grow expensive — fast.
5 Ways to Avoid Road Ragers
Should you encounter a road rager, you want to stay out of their way and avoid engaging. You might not notice someone with aggressive driving behaviors, so here are 5 practices to avoid someone else’s road rage and any dangerous consequences.
1. Drive predictably and considerately. This means signaling, checking for space when merging, not looking at your cell phone, and other safe driving practices. While things happen accidentally, it’s best to try to avoid contributing to any issues.
2. Honk only if you have too. Honking in response to an aggressive and angry act may only enhance their road rage. Only honk if there’s a safety issue, such as someone changing lanes without seeing your car.
3. Avoid angry motorists when you see them. Don’t speed up to get by someone if you see they’re driving aggressively. Change lanes if you’re being tailgated, slow down to let someone who wants to pass go ahead, and stay behind the angry driver. It’s harder for them to hurt you if you’re behind them. If necessary, pull off the road or take the next exit to get out of their way.
4. Ignore obscene gestures. Don’t fuel road rage fire — don’t make eye contact or react in any way that engages an angry driver, like returning their gestures or visibly yelling from inside the car.
5. Don’t be afraid to report road rage to the authorities. Reporting something could actually save lives. Law enforcement may be able to reach the angry driver before an accident happens. If you witness an accident happen from a road raging vehicle, call the police, but be cautious and use your judgment about approaching the driver — aggressive drivers can be unpredictable. Also, do not go home in an upset driver is following you. Call the police and wait for their help.
