Anyone can become frustrated or angry traveling on Connecticut roads. However, most drivers temper themselves and don’t fall prey to road rage. This is a problem that poses danger to everyone on the road, including the angry driver.
Facts about road rage
Road rage can take many forms, but all of those forms can lead to auto accidents. It is a type of aggressive driving that occurs when a driver becomes angry due to slow traffic, the action or inaction of another driver or something unrelated to the road.
Drivers can engage in various dangerous practices when they are in road rage mode. Common actions include tailgating other vehicles, erratically changing lanes, speeding, failing to yield or signal, following another driver, traveling on the shoulder, illegally passing other vehicles and failing to obey traffic laws.
Road rage statistics
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, road rage accounts for around 66% of all traffic-related deaths. Some of those fatalities are directly due to murder perpetrated by angry, aggressive drivers.
Although the best way to respond to a road rage driver is to stay calm, let them pass and avoid engaging them, many people fail to react that way. Instead, nearly half of drivers who report having been the target of road rage have responded aggressively toward the behavior.
In 2021, one person was shot by someone in a road rage incident every 17 hours. Although many of these acts of violence were not due to retaliation or returning the aggressive behavior, it shows that taking the high road is the better option.
Approximately 56% of fatal crashes involve road rage. These accidents stemmed from behaviors such as abrupt lane changes, speeding, tailgating and failing to signal. When drivers act unpredictably, it significantly raises the chances of devastating consequences.
Road rage can claim lives. Although it’s easy to become angry while driving, remaining calm helps you stay safe.
