Knowing how to handle aggressive drivers can prevent you or another motorist from becoming the victim of road rage of being involved in a Chicago car accident.
As our Chicago personal injury lawyers have reported, both here and on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, that road rage typically involves a criminal offense, such as assault, while aggressive driving includes many of the more mundane activities of which we are all unfortunately guilty of from time to time, including speeding, tailgating and changing lanes without signaling.Just last month we reported on our Personal Injury Lawyer Blog when a Chicago road rage incident led to the shooting of a pedestrian.
Yahoo News reports that a study sponsored by AAA found more than 10,000 crashes were caused by violent driver aggression between 1990 and 1996. The accidents killed more than 200 people and injured more than 12,000.
A new Road and Travel Magazine survey found half of all drivers respond with aggression when they get the finger or are cut off in traffic.
The report on aggressive-driving reactions found:
-34 percent honk their horn at the aggressor.
-27 percent yell.
-19 percent give the finger.
-17 percent flash their lights.
-7 percent mimic the aggressive behavior of the other driver.
-2 percent admit to trying to run the aggressive driver of the road.
“Road rage is a two-way street,” noted Ray Palermo, of Response Insurance. “It takes two people to fight. So, if you are subjected to aggressive driving, often the best way to ensure it does not get any worse is to just ignore it.”
The report found men were more likely to respond with aggression than men, but not by much (54 percent to 46 percent). Young drivers were much more likely to become aggressive than older drivers (67 percent to 30 percent). Perhaps surprisingly, drivers with children were more likely to be become aggressive (59 percent) than drivers without (45 percent).
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact Abels & Annes for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.