Behaviors people in Texas do not find acceptable when walking behind someone on the sidewalk are apparently standard when behind the wheel of a car. In fact, in a recently released survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, almost 80 percent of drivers admitted to tailgating, shouting or swearing at a slower vehicle in front of them. Even more disturbing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that more than 60 percent of fatal car accidents are the result of some form of aggressive driving.
The AAA study found that almost 90 percent of drivers fear for their safety at the hands of an aggressive driver, yet nearly half of those surveyed admitted they had tailgated a slower vehicle or shouted at another driver. It is estimated that 8 million drivers may go even further in expressing their impatience on the road, escalating to purposely bumping another vehicle or even exiting their vehicle to challenge another driver. Apparently males between the ages of 19 and 39 are more likely to exhibit these types of aggressive behavior than other groups of people.
Twenty-five percent of drivers surveyed claimed they had used their car to prevent another driver from changing lanes. Additionally, 12 percent said they had purposely cut off another vehicle. The study also showed that drivers who showed disregard for other traffic laws, such as ignoring speed limits and running red lights, were four times more likely to exhibit aggressive driving habits.
Despite warnings and educational efforts from law enforcement and safety advocates, the number of car accidents caused by road rage incidents seems to be rising. People in Texas who are fortunate to have avoided a confrontation on the road certainly know of people who have suffered injuries or the tragic loss of a loved one through another driver’s senseless act of impatience. Those who have faced this kind of pain and suffering often find comfort in the advice of an experienced personal injury attorney.
Source: phillytrib.com, “Road rage survey finds very few keep ‘cool head’“, Joan Lowy, July 19, 2016
