Road rage drivers are annoying and sometimes intimidating. They can also be the source of real risk for others on the road. People who lose their cool in traffic may engage in unsafe and inappropriate conduct that could directly increase the likelihood of a collision. In some cases, they even commit violent crimes because of how angry they are about traffic circumstances. Road rage drivers put everyone at risk of both criminal activity and preventable collisions.
How do agitated, aggressive drivers increase the chances of a motor vehicle collision?
Swerving and cutting people off
Road rage motorists sometimes cause crashes through clearly unsafe conduct. They become irate because they feel like another driver cut them off, so they pass that driver and then slam on their brakes to replicate what they just experienced. Other times, they may swerve over the line separating two lanes of traffic to try to intimidate another motorist or get their attention. Those erratic maneuvers can potentially cause rear-end and sideswipe collisions.
Triggering overreactions
Drivers trying to avoid road rage motorists often have limited options. They may have to hit their brakes suddenly when a road rage driver cuts them off or swerve off onto the shoulder to avoid their incursion into another lane of traffic. Road rage motorists can behave in ways that force a targeted driver into a one-vehicle collision when they go off the road. Road rage driver drivers can take actions that lead to others causing crashes in their attempts to avoid the road rage motorist.
Becoming a source of distraction
Road rage drivers draw the attention of many people, not just the person they target. Their shocking displays of emotion on the road can lead to others staring at them instead of watching their surroundings carefully. Any significant distraction can increase people’s reaction times and may cause secondary collisions. While the road rage driver may not have struck someone in such cases, they are still the main reason that the incident occurs.
It may be possible to file an insurance claim or a lawsuit against a road rage driver even if they avoided direct involvement in a motor vehicle collision. Possessing the circumstances surrounding a crash with a skilled legal team can help people hold the right person accountable for a recent wreck.