The True Costs Of Road Rage

Oct 2, 2019, 1:08 PM

Sometimes it feels like you can’t help it. Someone is driving slowly in the fast lane, or they race through a red light when you’re about to make a turn. You make an angry gesture and slam on your horn. Watching the news that night, you see a startling report about a driver who actually got out of his car to challenge another driver.

Driving Dangers

A 2016 AAA study found nearly half of all drivers yelled or honked at another driver during the year. More than half of all drivers purposefully tailgated another driver. Three percent deliberately used their car to hit another car on the road.

• Purposefully tailgating: 51%
• Yelling at another driver: 47%
• Honking to show annoyance or anger: 45%
• Making angry gestures: 33%
• Trying to block another vehicle from changing lanes: 24%
• Cutting off another vehicle on purpose: 12%
• Getting out of the vehicle to confront another driver: 4%
• Bumping or ramming another vehicle on purpose: 3%

Road rage is dangerous for drivers and passengers, and it has an impact on insurance, too: we don’t offer liability coverage for intentional acts that cause bodily injury or property damage. You can talk to your independent insurance agent about exactly what is covered, but unsafe driving is not something we want to encourage.

What can you do to reduce road rage in yourself and others? Staying away from drivers with dangerous behavior is a start. Yes, someone might get ahead of you on the highway or skip a stop sign, but the alternative could be getting into an expensive, life-threatening accident.

Avoiding Road Rage

Staying calm on the road is helpful too. Remembering the risks of road rage can help keep you from getting angry and aggressive.

• Budget extra time when you’re traveling. If you’re not in a hurry, you’re less likely to be tense behind the wheel.
  
• Don’t tailgate other drivers. You may have to wait for a little while before you can pass someone moving slowly, but sticking to the back of another driver’s bumper can backfire if the driver stops suddenly and there’s a collision.
  
• Stay relaxed. Avoid using your horn or making any rude gestures. You may want to express that you’re upset, but doing so won’t change the other driver’s behavior or calm down a dangerous situation.
  

Next time you’re in your car, think about the other drivers around you — and what you can do to keep everyone safe on the road.