Was Road Rage Involved In Your Car Accident? 4 Out of Every 5 Drivers Have Road Rage

Road rage is something that everyone is likely familiar with – either because they have been on the receiving end of another driver’s rage, or they have felt the infuriating sensation themselves. In fact, road rage is so common that a new study conducted by AAA reveals that 4 out of every 5 drivers admit to giving into road rage, driving aggressively, or driving while angry.

Road Rage by the Numbers

The study shares some scary facts about road rage and its prevalence among drivers in America. These include:

• 47 percent of all drivers – or 95 million – yell at other drivers.
• 45 percent of all drivers – or 91 million people – honk their horns.
• 4 percent of all drivers – or 7.6 million people – confront other drivers.
• 3 percent of all drivers – or 5.7 million people – hit another car on purpose.

Those numbers are scary. There are millions of people on the road who are intentionally causing accidents due to the road rage, and others who are exhibiting behaviors that are dangerous enough to quickly lead to an escalation of the situation.

Yelling and honking aren’t the only dangerous aggressive driving behaviors. Tailgating, traveling at high speeds, and changing lanes illegally are all common, too.

Who Is Most Likely to Experience Road Rage?

The study also found – as summarized in a report published by AutoBlog – that both gender and age play a role in the likelihood of a person exhibiting road rage while driving. Males are more likely to become aggressive while behind the wheel, as are those drivers between ages 18 and 39. Even geography may affect a person’s road rage. Drivers living in the northeastern United States were found to be more likely to honk, yell, or make angry gestures.

A separate study conducted by AAA also found that 8 out of 10 drivers surveyed believe that aggressive driving is “serious” or an “extremely serious” risk that endangers their safety. Despite this, many people continue to drive without regard for others.

Getting Road Rage under Control

If you have experienced road rage before and know that it is hard for you to manage, develop a technique now that you can use to help you get it under control. Whether it is listening to your favorite song or taking some deep breaths, learning how to manage your road rage may prevent an accident, saving your life or the life of another person.

If you are ever on the receiving end of another driver’s road rage, stay calm. If you react in a negative way, the other driver may become vindictive.

What to Do after a Crash

If you are involved in a crash caused by another driver’s road rage, our attorneys want to help. Whether distracted driving or anger, or something else entirely, caused your accident, the team at Riddle & Brantley, LLP wants to sit down with you to discuss your legal options today. Contact us now for a free case consultation.