Why Road Rage Can Lead To Car Accidents

Angry yelling out car windowIt’s easy to get frustrated when others drive too close to your car, cut you off, or don’t follow the rules of the roads. However, acting out on your emotions can lead to road rage that causes serious car accidents and violations with law enforcement.

People that drive aggressively are not only dangers to themselves but also others on the road and the repercussions can be severe.

What Is Road Rage?

In the highly-populated and busy state of New York, it is common for the roads to have a lot of traffic. In fact, the Big Apple is well known for bumper-to-bumper traffic in its crowded cities.

This can easily cause aggravation when you’re trying to be on time to an appointment or simply want to arrive after a long day of work. Any driver is susceptible to road rage from minor to serious cases such as:

  • Speeding
  • Tailgating
  • Honking
  • Flashing headlights
  • Yelling
  • Giving rude gestures to other drivers
  • Walking out of your car and to another driver’s car
  • Using weapons such as firearms or your own vehicle to injure another driver

Road Rage Consequences

Injuries, property damage, and death are not the only consequences of road rage. Aggressive driving is against the law and whenever you get behind the wheel, you’re expected to follow the law. Disregarding the law can bring about fines, imprisonment, tickets, loss or suspension of your license, and other court and attorney costs. No matter how much another driver angers you while driving, the consequences of reacting hostilely are never worth it.

New York officers are consistently on the lookout to pull over reckless drivers. To obtain a New York license, you even have to pass an examination that includes questions on road rage to prove you are aware of the dangers in addition to the legal and financial consequences that you can face if you fail to drive responsibly. Road rage awareness is a mandatory prerequisite in order to obtain a New York license as this ensures that drivers understand why road rage is never okay and what the ramifications can be.

How To Prevent Road Rage

It may be difficult to impossible to avoid road rage from other drivers around you. However, you can always control your own emotions and take the steps necessary to avoid unfortunate accidents caused by road rage. To reduce your chances of being in a car accident:

  • Always remain calm and reasonable
  • Respect others on the road and follow the law
  • Play soothing music or intriguing podcasts or audiobooks
  • Mouth you’re sorry and wave if you make a mistake
  • If you start feeling upset, take a deep breath to calm yourself down
  • If you’re too emotional, pull over to a safe location and wait until you calm down
  • Contact the police if you see another person driving aggressively
  • Expect and plan ahead for the possibility of traffic and reckless drivers

Contact Us

Please always remember to drive responsibly. If you are the victim of a car accident, you deserve to receive compensation and need a skilled attorney on your side. Our attorneys have years of experience and offer free initial consultations to review personal injury cases. Call us today: 716-330-2901.