Especially in heavy traffic, driving can be frustrating.
Sharing the road means other motorists can sometimes engage in careless or thoughtless driving behaviors, such as operating too slowly, suddenly changing lanes or not moving right away when a light turns green.
Many drivers unfortunately respond to these annoyances in extreme and dangerous ways. Some people may deliberately cut the offending car off or run the car off the road in an act of revenge.
Others may choose to throw something at the other vehicle or to tailgate.
One should not overlook more common behaviors which technically qualify as road rage. Making rude gestures, shouting within one’s own vehicle and even aggressive honking take a person’s mind off their own driving and can cause an accident.
Likewise, those who exhibit road rage also tend to engage in other poor driving habits, like speeding, improper passing or hurrying through an intersection to beat a traffic light.
All these behaviors can cause collisions. For example, speeding plays a role in well over 1 out of 4 traffic fatalities, according to the National Safety Council.
Simply put, road rage is never justified and is always risky. No one should think of it as harmless or as just a common way people blow off steam after a long day.
Those whose road rage contributes to an accident can be held responsible
It may be hard to tell exactly how many serious car accidents could have been prevented had a driver remained calm after a frustrating incident on the road.
Victims of accidents in the Seattle area should always question whether the other motorist was operating while under the influence of anger.
If they were, Washington law may allow the victim to recover compensation from that driver for the victim’s losses. Receiving compensation is a way a victim can remain financially stable after a life-altering accident. It is also a way to hold other drivers accountable for their road rage.