Chances are you’ve encountered road rage before if you’ve spent any time behind the wheel in Dallas. Drivers can react in an unhealthy way when they feel that another motorist has inconvenienced them in some way. They may honk, tailgate, cut off other vehicles, or even intentionally cause a car crash in Dallas as they let their anger get the best of them. Today, we at Lastimado would like to discuss road rage accidents.
Road Rage Definition & Meaning
A specific type of aggressive driving that involves a driver getting revenge on another driver they feel has wronged them is road rage. Other instances of road rage can lead to collisions and injuries, while some acts of road rage are merely verbal, like shouting profanities or making lewd hand signals at another motorist.
Road Rage Statistics in Texas
Aggressive driving plays a role in 56% of all fatal traffic-related accidents, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Road rage can escalate from aggressive driving. In studies of 10,000 road rage accidents over seven years, found that 218 murders and 12,610 injury cases resulted from those accidents. Also, nine out of ten participants believed that aggressive drivers were either somewhat of a threat or a very serious threat. In any case, 82% of a survey respondents admitted to committing at least one act of road rage within the past year. Young male drivers are the most likely group to engage in road rage, per the American Psychological Association.
What is an Example of Aggressive Driving?
It can be difficult to predict exactly how they will behave when a driver lets their emotions get the best of them and loses their self-control. Some common examples of road rage include:
– Yelling
– Weaving
– Tailgating
– Speeding
– Rude gestures
– Intentionally ramming
– Initiating confrontation outside the vehicles
– Honking
– Following the person they think has wronged them
– Driving on the sidewalk
– Cutting off other vehicles on purpose
– Blocking traffic
It’s essential to understand what tends to trigger it among drivers with short fuses to combat road rage.
What is the Most Common Cause of Road Rage?
Distracted driving: When a driver engages in any activity that pulls their focus away from the task of driving, distracted driving occurs. One of the most common distracted driving behaviors is texting. They may react by lashing out, if an aggressive driver is inconvenienced by a distracted driver who isn’t paying attention.
Impatience: More likely to drive aggressively are impatient drivers. They may have fewer reservations about driving carelessly if a driver is late for a morning meeting or in a hurry to reach their destination. If another motorist gets in their way or inconveniences them, they may also be more likely to snap.
Heavy traffic: A driver can become impatient from sitting in stalled traffic. They may react aggressively if an easily angered driver feels inconvenienced by heavy traffic conditions.
Anonymity: They may feel emboldened to behave in ways they probably wouldn’t if they knew the other driver, because aggressive drivers have anonymity.
What to Do if You are a Victim of Road Rage?
You should call law enforcement to the scene immediately, if you were involved in a road rage incident. Don’t do anything to provoke the motorist who hit you and you should also remain calm. Because police officers frequently don’t take pictures, after the police arrive try to collect any evidence at the scene and especially photographs of the scene and the vehicles. Any actions the aggressive driver took to the police and what, if anything, they said to you needs to be described. You should take photos of your injuries and seek medical help if you were injured in the accident.
Personal Injury Attorneys in Dallas, San Antonio & Austin, TX (Just Minutes from Carrollton, Garland, Irving, Mesquite & Grand Prairie, Texas)
If you are a victim of a road rage accident, in Greater Dallas, Austin or San Antonio, TX, call in the professionals of Lastimado.
