Georgia residents should know that 94% of all traffic accidents are due to driver error, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Of these, 33% are the result of illegal maneuvers, rash judgments of another driver’s intent and other actions that could indicate road rage.
Road rage is a leading cause of accidents, then, and especially accidents that end in injury or death. SafeMotorist.com says that 66% of traffic fatalities in recent years are associated with aggressive driving. Of these, 37% were due not to injuries sustained in an accident but to the use of firearms.
Unfortunately, many drivers who are targeted by an aggressive driver feel compelled to retaliate, and this escalates many minor incidents into full-blown road rage. In a poll from AAA, drivers who admitted to the desire to retaliate, when asked to cite the behaviors that anger them the most, mentioned being cut off, encountering a slow driver in the left-hand lane and seeing someone tailgate behind them.
Anger can be managed, and road rage incidents can be successfully avoided. Drivers should simply refuse to engage the aggressive driver, give him or her ample room, avoid eye contact and never make inflammatory gestures. Chronically angry drivers should explore the reasons for their behavior; it could be stress at work or a behavioral imbalance.
When car accidents are caused by road rage, the first question will be who was at fault. If the victim did not contribute to the crash by retaliating, then he or she may have very good grounds for a personal injury case. If the victim also became aggressive, then the chances of recovering damages are much slimmer. This is where a consultation with a lawyer may prove helpful. A lawyer may even help gather evidence and negotiate a settlement.