Road rage, which differs from aggressive driving in that it is a criminal offense, rather than a traffic one, is on the rise across Kentucky and the rest of the United States. Road rage takes place when the driver of a vehicle exercises “willful and wanton” disregard for others on the roadway. It is often a contributing factor to roadway crashes, injuries and fatalities.
According to WHAS 11, road rage, and in particular, road rage involving firearms, is becoming increasingly problematic across Kentucky and beyond.
Who is susceptible to road rage
Research shows that some drivers are more prone to road rage and aggressive driving than others. Men are more likely than women to engage in dangerous driving behaviors that fall under the road rage umbrella. For example, more than 31% of male motorists admit to exhibiting road rage through tailgating or switching lanes rapidly, while only 44.6% of female drivers say they do the same. However, about 80% of motorists, male or female, acknowledge having exhibited signs of anger or road rage behind the wheel within the past year.
How to react to road rage
Most safety advocates agree that the smartest way to respond to road rage is not to respond to it at all. When a driver did nothing to cause another motorist’s road rage, that driver might try to disengage from the situation to diffuse it. If road rage occurs because of a driver’s actions, it may serve that driver well to acknowledge fault before trying to disengage.
Some believe the added stresses many have experienced over the past few years is a contributing factor to the rising number of road rage incidents taking place across Kentucky and the United States.