Dealing with Aggressive Drivers

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Aggressive Driving

Driving can be dangerous business, especially when there are aggressive drivers on the road – and there certainly are a lot of them. In fact, one study suggests that as many as 80 percent of all drivers have participated in some form of aggressive driving. That is not the worst of the problem, however. There have been murders, shootings, and intentional attempts to run others off the road. Learn how you can protect yourself from a potential crash with an aggressive driver, and what your rights are, should an accident happen to you or someone you love.

Concerning Aggressive Driver Statistics

Aggressive driving can take many forms, and it can lead to varying degrees of potential harm. Behaviors that tend to be the most dangerous are those that involve shooting another driver (approximately 37 percent of all road rage incidents involve the use of a firearm), intentionally trying to run another driver off the road (as many as 2 percent of drivers admit to trying to run another aggressive driver off the road), and intentionally bumping or ramming another vehicle (about 3 percent of all drivers have admitted to doing so). These are not the only behaviors that can cause harm, however. In fact, there are other, seemingly less aggressive behaviors that can negatively affect other drivers. Examples include:

• Honking at another driver to show annoyance or anger;
• Attempting to block another vehicle from changing lanes;
• Yelling at another driver;
• Intentionally tailgating another driver;
• Intentionally slamming on your brakes when someone is following too closely;
• Making obscene or angry gestures;
• Getting out of the car to confront another driver; and
• Cutting off another driver intentionally.

Many of these other behaviors are far more common than those involving the use of a firearm or intentionally trying to run another driver off the road. For example, as many as 104 million drivers have admitted to purposely tailgating another driver in the past year. As many as 24 million have intentionally cut off another vehicle. Both are actions that can lead to an accident that may result in serious injury or wrongful death.

Dealing with Aggressive Drivers

First and foremost, it is important to not drive in a way that might cause another driver to become agitated. Avoid distracted driving, use signals, and drive with care. Of course, even if you do all of that, you may run into a person who is having a bad day, is extremely aggressive, or highly prone to road rage. In these instances, it is best to ignore the driver and to try and avoid eye contact. If they persist their behavior anyway, contact the authorities for assistance.

When an Aggressive Driver’s Behavior Causes an Accident

If you or someone you love is injured or wrongfully killed because of the actions of an aggressive driver, it is important that you understand your rights. Namely, you should know that you do have the right to pursue full and fair compensation. The attorneys at Salvi & Maher, LLP can help. Schedule a consultation with our Lake County personal injury attorneys to learn more. Call 847-662-3303.

Sources:

http://newsroom.aaa.com/2016/07/nearly-80-percent-of-drivers-express-significant-anger-aggression-or-road-rage/

http://www.safemotorist.com/articles/road_rage.aspx

http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/pdf/Licenses/Driver%20Manual/Chapter_5.pdf