Did you know that around nine in 10 people in 2023 saw an act of road rage?
Meanwhile, 12,610 injuries and 218 deaths have been connected to road rage incidents in the United States over a seven-year period. And in 2022, someone was shot and killed every 16 hours in a road rage event. Road rage isn’t just dangerous. It can also be deadly.
While there’s no telling what will trigger someone to go berserk on the road, you can do things to lower your risk of being a road rage victim. Consider these four ways to stay safe on the road and avoid unnecessarily triggering people prone to road rage.
1. Don’t Tailgate
Tailgating is one of the worst on-the-road behaviors. And it can provoke some drivers to act out. If driving behind someone, you should never be so close as to have no margin for error. Tailgating is one of the main causes of rear-end auto collisions. People being tailgated know how close to a collision they are and may become enraged if someone’s riding their rear bumper. Do your part to lower road rage incidents by giving drivers sufficient room.
Otherwise, accidents are a real possibility. The last thing you want is an avoidable collision that wrecks your vehicle and possibly leads to physical injury. If you have to contact a personal injury lawyer, your claim is more likely to succeed if you didn’t cause the accident. You can lower your risks of personal injury if you abide by the rules of the road.
2. Weaving In and Out of Traffic
Another bad on-the-road behavior that can upset some drivers is the tendency to weave in and out of traffic. It can be a white-knuckle experience for good drivers when they must slam on the brakes because a less considerate motorist sped up and swerved ahead of them. Weaving in and out of traffic is worse when the roads and highways are congested.
While nothing justifies getting so angry as to retaliate and create mayhem on the road, why unnecessarily provoke anyone? You don’t know who may have a short fuse ready to ignite and explode. So, do your part to keep the roads safe. You can do that by respecting other drivers.
3. Brake Checking
Brake checking is a dangerous on-the-road behavior. You don’t want to upset the wrong motorist by engaging in it. It’s what happens when someone slams on their brakes suddenly for no legitimate rhyme or reason. People who brake check do so to upset the driver directly behind them. It forces the driver to slam on their brakes to prevent a rear-end collision.
When you stop to think about it, people who resort to brake checking aren’t thinking clearly. The driver who brake checks will get rear-ended if there’s a collision. If an investigation finds that the accident was caused by brake checking, the brake-checking motorist will be at fault.
4. Driving Too Slow
Do you travel at a snail’s pace in the passing lane? If so, you can bet other drivers won’t take this kindly. Slow pokes can get under the skin of some motorists. You can avoid becoming a road rage victim by watching your speed. Don’t be the automotive equivalent of a sloth. Stay out of the passing lane unless you must be there — and travel with the flow of traffic.
While there’s no excuse for road rage, it’s a real problem. You can reduce the odds of being a victim by taking precautions. Otherwise, you could find yourself in a world of trouble. Road rage is no joke.
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