Nearly Four in Five Drivers Admit to Road Rage

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, almost 80% of drivers admitted to some form of road rage or anger while driving during a year. Surprisingly, nearly eight million drivers acknowledged that they engaged in dangerous conduct, including getting out of their car to confront another driver or even ramming another driver.

Jurek Grabowski, Director of Research for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, said that “Far too many drivers are losing themselves in the heat of the moment and lashing out in ways that could turn deadly.”

Examples of angry behavior that drivers acknowledged include:

• Purposely driving too close to, tailgating, a car in front (104 million drivers said they did this.)
• Screaming at another driver
• Honking to show a driver’s anger
• Making angry gestures
• Trying to prevent another driver from changing lanes
• Purposely cutting off another driver
• Getting out of the car to confront another driver (About 7.6 million drivers admitted to doing this.)
• Purposely bumping another car

The AAA foundation also reported the following findings:

• Almost 2/3 of drivers think road rage is getting worse.
• 90% of drivers think road rage is a threat to their personal safety.
• Aggressive driving was more likely by male drivers than female and younger drivers (19-39) than older drivers.
• Male drivers are three times more likely than a female driver to get out of their vehicle to confront another driver or to ram another vehicle.
• Northeast drivers were 30% more likely to make an angry gesture than drivers in different parts of the country.
• Drivers who speed and run through red lights are more likely to exhibit road rage than other drivers – such as cutting off another driver on purpose.

AAA road rage suggestions

The AAA Foundation offers these following tips to help reduce the possibility of road rage:

• Don’t force another driver to change their direction or their speed.
• Don’t force another driver to slam on their brakes or move their steering wheel
• Be understanding. While this can be hard to do, it helps to think of the driver that just cut you off or did something offensive – as someone who is just having a rotten day. Assume that the problem is the other driver and nothing personal.
• Don’t respond. Often, the best thing to do is just move on. “Avoid eye contact, don’t make gestures, maintain space around your vehicle and contact 9-1-1 if needed.”

The AAA foundation based their findings on a national survey of 2,705 drivers taken in 2016. The drivers were 16 years of age and older.

At Wagner & Wagner Attorneys at Law, we handle every type of vehicle accident. Our Chattanooga car accident lawyers hold negligent drivers and irresponsible drivers responsible for wrongful deaths and personal injuries. We demand full compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, and all medical expenses. In road rage cases, we are likely to file a claim for punitive damages if a mad driver caused you harm.

For help with all car and vehicle accidents, call us at 423-756-7923 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We represent drivers, passengers, and pedestrians in Chattanooga and Cleveland, TN, and in North Georgia.