If so, you're not alone. According to a recent report on aggressive driving put out by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, taken from a survey of 2,705 licensed drivers in 2014, 78% of drivers had engaged in some sort of aggressive driving behavior in the previous year.
Not sure if you're an aggressive driver? You can take this test online. According to the report, the most common aggressive driving behaviors included:
- Tailgating
- Yelling
- Honking
- Gesturing
More serious, albeit less common aggressive behaviors included cutting off another driver, refusing to let another driver merge or exiting the car to engage in a confrontation.
Those surveyed indicated that they thought road rage was a bigger problem today than it was three years ago– 9 out of 10 surveyed thought that aggressive driving was a serious safety threat on the roads. Furthermore, male drivers reported more road rage behaviors than did female drivers.
Given that aggressive driving has been reported by the AAA to be a contributing element of 56% of fatal car crashes, what can you do to avoid aggressive drivers on the road, or keep yourself from being an aggressive driver yourself? Here are some tips:
- Don't engage or make eye contact with angry drivers.
- Don't drive slowly in the fast lane. Move over and let people pass.
- Don't tailgate.
- Signal and leave room for other cars when merging.
- Don't make angry gestures at other drivers.
While you can take precautions to make sure you don't become an aggressive driver or antagonize other drivers, you can't control everybody's behavior on the road. If you or someone you love becomes a victim of an aggressive driver in a car crash, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to discuss your options to pursue compensation.