Examples of Road Rage that Causes Injuries

cartwrightlaw - February 10, 2023 -

While many of us might struggle to define road rage, we certainly know it when we see it. Road rage is the furious anger that some drivers exhibit when confronted by the ordinary inconveniences and annoyances that happen when we’re driving. It is usually a weapon of retaliation because the angry drivers feel like they have suffered an injury or wrong in some way. They let their anger take over and take revenge on the one they see as responsible. 

It’s important to remember that road rage is more than just excessively aggressive driving. Instead, drivers with road rage drive with a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others on the road. Aggressive driving most often comes from impatience and is usually engaged in thoughtlessly. Road rage comes from a sense of injury and personal attack and comes from a place of anger and vengefulness. 

Unfortunately, road rage has become among the top twenty causes of motor vehicle accidents. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says that road rage is a factor in one-quarter of fatal crashes involving drivers aged 40 to 54, or 5 percent of all fatal traffic accidents. Although it is vastly outnumbered by more significant causes like DUIs and distracted driving, road rage causes completely preventable car accidents and is a growing problem. Half of the drivers who are victims of road rage respond with their own rage – a perfect storm of anger leading to a potentially fatal accident. 

Anyone injured in a road rage accident needs help from an experienced Bay Area car accident attorney immediately.

Underlying Causes of Road Rage

Road rage is often a manifestation of frustration, either with something that happened before the drive began or because of something that happened during the drive. Some of these roots or rage include:

• Traffic Problems – Heavy traffic, road work, accidents, looking for parking, or waiting for a long light to change can all begin or increase a driver’s anger level. 
• Tardiness – Running late for an appointment can cause immediate frustration and anger. An angry, late driver is likely to speed and do so in a particularly reckless and dangerous manner.
• No Names – Driving is, like social media, largely anonymous until something goes wrong. Again like social media, this anonymity allows some drivers to act irresponsibly in ways they would not if they weren’t anonymous. It’s okay to annoy and threaten a stranger since the driver is unlikely to see them again. Road rage is the motor vehicle equivalent of trolling and flaming.
• Doesn’t Apply to Me – Certain drivers know the rules but think they’re so good at driving that the rules don’t apply to them. A classic example is the driver who yells at someone for texting while reading their phone messages.
• Bad Habits – Sometimes, the enraged driver just drives that way. Someone may have taught them that tapping brakes against a tailgater is okay behavior or, indeed, that tailgating tells the driver in front that you need to get around. These learned behaviors can be dangerous and hard to correct. 

Acting Out Road Rage

Road rage manifests in various ways. Some of the more typical forms include the following.

• Yelling & Gesturing  – Everyone occasionally yells at another driver, fortunately usually with the windows up, so the other driver does not hear. Yelling lets off some steam and, if not so violent as to be distracting, is usually not an accident cause. Similarly, making offensive gestures at other drivers is an equally offensive sign of road rage and may well engender an equally angry reaction. 
• Honking the Horn – In some cities, like Chicago, only a nanosecond will pass before the driver behind will honk. Angry honking is annoying and may be distracting because the honked-at driver may not understand why you are honking. 

• Tailgating – Tailgating raises the stakes just a bit. First, it is considerably more aggressive. Further, it is threatening; the tailgater says, keep it up, and I will cause you to be injured. Driving too close, often accompanied by taps on the breaks, is an overt threat and symptom of road rage. 
• Blocking or Cutting Off Another Driver – Sometimes, the response attempts to block the other driver from making a desired move in traffic. The enraged driver may block a lane change or slow down to impede the other driver’s speed. These maneuvers are highly dangerous and can result in injuries to other completely uninvolved drivers or pedestrians. Likewise, intentionally cutting off another driver is dangerous and doesn’t get either of you where you want to be.
• Confronting the Other Driver – Stopping the car to get out and confront the other driver is a terrible idea. First, you don’t want to threaten so aggressively that you can potentially get charged with assault. We live in scary times, and a looming angry driver only makes things scarier. Likewise, you don’t know who the other driver is. You may have stopped someone who is also angry and has a weapon with which to prove it. It’s much wiser simply to keep driving and move on.
• Bumper Cars – The final road rage (before an intentional violent attack) is purposely bumping or ramming the other driver. At this point, the aggressive driver has moved from covert anger to overt action. The driver potentially causes property damage to the other’s vehicle and may injure the driver or passengers in that other vehicle. 

Contact a San Francisco Car Accident Attorney Today

If you or a loved one have suffered an injury in San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Vacaville, or Discovery Bay at the hands of an enraged driver, you should contact The Cartwright Law Firm today. An experienced car accident attorney can make the entire process of resolving your accident claim more manageable and more effective. Instead of dealing with an increasingly angry road-rage driver, let your attorneys handle the negotiation and emotional consequences of the incident. Using an experienced attorney allows you to focus on physical and mental healing while your attorney focuses on financial recovery for you. 

There’s no fee for your case unless we obtain a settlement or court victory in your favor. Call us for a free consultation and case evaluation. 

While many of us might struggle to define road rage, we certainly know it when we see it. Road rage is the furious anger that some drivers exhibit when confronted by the ordinary inconveniences and annoyances that happen when we’re driving. It is usually a weapon of retaliation because the angry drivers feel like they have suffered an injury or wrong in some way. They let their anger take over and take revenge on the one they see as responsible. 

It’s important to remember that road rage is more than just excessively aggressive driving. Instead, drivers with road rage drive with a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others on the road. Aggressive driving most often comes from impatience and is usually engaged in thoughtlessly. Road rage comes from a sense of injury and personal attack and comes from a place of anger and vengefulness. 

Unfortunately, road rage has become among the top twenty causes of motor vehicle accidents. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says that road rage is a factor in one-quarter of fatal crashes involving drivers aged 40 to 54, or 5 percent of all fatal traffic accidents. Although it is vastly outnumbered by more significant causes like DUIs and distracted driving, road rage causes completely preventable car accidents and is a growing problem. Half of the drivers who are victims of road rage respond with their own rage – a perfect storm of anger leading to a potentially fatal accident. 

Anyone injured in a road rage accident needs help from an experienced Bay Area car accident attorney immediately.

Underlying Causes of Road Rage

Road rage is often a manifestation of frustration, either with something that happened before the drive began or because of something that happened during the drive. Some of these roots or rage include:

• Traffic Problems – Heavy traffic, road work, accidents, looking for parking, or waiting for a long light to change can all begin or increase a driver’s anger level. 
• Tardiness – Running late for an appointment can cause immediate frustration and anger. An angry, late driver is likely to speed and do so in a particularly reckless and dangerous manner.
• No Names – Driving is, like social media, largely anonymous until something goes wrong. Again like social media, this anonymity allows some drivers to act irresponsibly in ways they would not if they weren’t anonymous. It’s okay to annoy and threaten a stranger since the driver is unlikely to see them again. Road rage is the motor vehicle equivalent of trolling and flaming.
• Doesn’t Apply to Me – Certain drivers know the rules but think they’re so good at driving that the rules don’t apply to them. A classic example is the driver who yells at someone for texting while reading their phone messages.
• Bad Habits – Sometimes, the enraged driver just drives that way. Someone may have taught them that tapping brakes against a tailgater is okay behavior or, indeed, that tailgating tells the driver in front that you need to get around. These learned behaviors can be dangerous and hard to correct. 

Acting Out Road Rage

Road rage manifests in various ways. Some of the more typical forms include the following.

• Yelling & Gesturing  – Everyone occasionally yells at another driver, fortunately usually with the windows up, so the other driver does not hear. Yelling lets off some steam and, if not so violent as to be distracting, is usually not an accident cause. Similarly, making offensive gestures at other drivers is an equally offensive sign of road rage and may well engender an equally angry reaction. 
• Honking the Horn – In some cities, like Chicago, only a nanosecond will pass before the driver behind will honk. Angry honking is annoying and may be distracting because the honked-at driver may not understand why you are honking. 

• Tailgating – Tailgating raises the stakes just a bit. First, it is considerably more aggressive. Further, it is threatening; the tailgater says, keep it up, and I will cause you to be injured. Driving too close, often accompanied by taps on the breaks, is an overt threat and symptom of road rage. 
• Blocking or Cutting Off Another Driver – Sometimes, the response attempts to block the other driver from making a desired move in traffic. The enraged driver may block a lane change or slow down to impede the other driver’s speed. These maneuvers are highly dangerous and can result in injuries to other completely uninvolved drivers or pedestrians. Likewise, intentionally cutting off another driver is dangerous and doesn’t get either of you where you want to be.
• Confronting the Other Driver – Stopping the car to get out and confront the other driver is a terrible idea. First, you don’t want to threaten so aggressively that you can potentially get charged with assault. We live in scary times, and a looming angry driver only makes things scarier. Likewise, you don’t know who the other driver is. You may have stopped someone who is also angry and has a weapon with which to prove it. It’s much wiser simply to keep driving and move on.
• Bumper Cars – The final road rage (before an intentional violent attack) is purposely bumping or ramming the other driver. At this point, the aggressive driver has moved from covert anger to overt action. The driver potentially causes property damage to the other’s vehicle and may injure the driver or passengers in that other vehicle. 

Contact a San Francisco Car Accident Attorney Today

If you or a loved one have suffered an injury in San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Vacaville, or Discovery Bay at the hands of an enraged driver, you should contact The Cartwright Law Firm today. An experienced car accident attorney can make the entire process of resolving your accident claim more manageable and more effective. Instead of dealing with an increasingly angry road-rage driver, let your attorneys handle the negotiation and emotional consequences of the incident. Using an experienced attorney allows you to focus on physical and mental healing while your attorney focuses on financial recovery for you. 

There’s no fee for your case unless we obtain a settlement or court victory in your favor. Call us for a free consultation and case evaluation. 

Our successful case results are a reflection of the values and virtues we believe in and uphold at Cartwright Law Firm. Nothing stops us from pursuing justice on behalf of those who need it.

Robert E. Cartwright Jr.
Founder and Managing Partner