A new study shows nearly 80 percent of drivers express significant anger, aggression or road rage.
AAA Foundation research released on Wednesday suggests 8 million U.S. drivers engaged in extreme examples of road rage, including purposefully ramming another vehicle or getting out of the car to confront another driver.
When breaking down data geographically, 42.8 percent of West Coast drivers said they have yelled at others, while 51.9 percent of drivers in the Northeast said the same.
While West Coast drivers may be the least likely to say they yell, they are the most likely to say they block others from changing lanes.
Of those who responded to the survey, 26.2 percent of West Coast drivers said they block others from changing lanes, which is higher than all other parts of the country.
No surprise to sociologists, the most aggressive and aggrieved drivers are young men ages 19 to 39. Male drivers were three times more likely than females to have gotten out of a car to confront another driver or rammed another vehicle on purpose.
“Far too many drivers are losing themselves in the heat of the moment and lashing out in ways that could turn deadly,” Jurek Grabowski, the foundation’s research director, warned.
The foundation’s findings are based on a nationally representative online survey of 2,705 licensed drivers who had driven at least once in the previous 30 days. The survey was conducted in 2014, but its results are just now being released.
KIRO 7 observed two drivers yelling at each other at a West Seattle intersection in February, where one of the two men pulled out a gun to wave in the air. No one was hurt.
Sgt. Rocky Oliphant with Washington State Patrol said he recently was called to a scene where two drivers were arguing.
“They kind of chase each other for a little bit, and there was almost a fight. I got there pretty quick,” Oliphant said.
KIRO 7 rode along with Oliphant in an unmarked car, which is part of the Aggressive Driving Apprehension Team. Troopers drive out in unmarked vehicles, to see how drivers behave without knowing law enforcement is nearby.
Whatever is making you mad, Oliphant said you try to let it go, because you’ll still get to your destination even if it’s a little bit later.
“It’s not worth getting in a fight over. It’s not worth getting arrested over,” he said.
In Washington state, you can be cited more than $500 for offenses like unsafe lane changes or following too closely.
Those behaviors are considered negligent driving.
Reckless driving, defined as willfully disregarding others’ safety, could result in one being arrested and one’s car being impounded.
Cox Media Group
