When most people consider car accidents, they think of causes like an improper left turn, a rear-end collision, or a crash caused by a drunk driver. However, one significant problem often not addressed is the issue of aggressive driving, or road rage. Road rage is responsible for as many as 66% of car accident fatalities, according to data put together by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Auto Vantage auto club show. Read on to find out more about road rage accidents and how to get help if you or a loved one are a victim.
Aggressive Driving 101 – Car Accidents & Road Rage
Road rage is defined by the NHTSA as when:
“an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.”
This means that a wide variety of driving behavior can be considered aggressive driving or road rage. The most common ways that aggressive driving manifests include but are not limited to:
- Speeding
- Slowing down excessively in front of someone else
- Slamming on the brakes when in front of someone or “brake checking” them
- Road racing
- Cutting another driver off
- Running or attempting to run another driver off the side of the road
- Abruptly changing lanes multiple times and weaving in and out of traffic
- Passing illegally, e.g. passing on the shoulder of the road or passing in a no-passing zone on a two-lane road
- Blocking or attempting to block other vehicles
- Making obscene gestures to another driver
- Yelling at another driver through the window
- Using the horn excessively
- Flashing bright headlights when it is customary to have headlights off (e.g. when another vehicle in oncoming traffic is passing at night or at all during the day)
Road Rage Crashes
It’s easy to see how the above behaviors might cause a serious collision. Illegal passing or running another car off the road may cause a driver to roll over, or excessive speeding or road racing can lead to a fatal collision that otherwise might not have been deadly.
At Pepper & Odom, PC, we believe that aggressive drivers should be held responsible when their actions cause a collision that results in another person’s injury or death. If you or a loved one were the victim of a car accident caused by aggressive driving, don’t wait to contact us. Call now for a consultation to get the help you need at 601-202-1111 in Mississippi or 205-250-1107 in Alabama.