Do not engage.
No matter how badly you want to flip off the guy who cut you off as he slashed across four lanes of highway, don’t do it.
Expend your own reactive energy – if it is safe for you to do so – to call *277 and report aggressive driving. Give a description of the vehicle and license plate if you or a passenger can do that – but don’t gesture and don’t follow the aggressive driver. Just let it go.
Because if you engage, you are now part of the problem of angry or aggressive driving that endangers everyone on the road.
By all accounts – and there are numerous agencies that slice and dice the data – aggressive driving is increasing and is a major contributor to fatal and serious injury crashes. But here’s the kicker: most drivers admit to at least occasionally being aggressive – something like speeding, tailgating or changing lanes without signaling (yes, that is on the list of aggressive behaviors).
We hear about the most horrific road rage incidents: In 2023, 118 people were shot to death and 365 were wounded in road rage shootings, according to Everytown Research & Policy. That means someone was shot and killed or wounded every 18 hours on America’s roads.
But that is not the aggression that we generally witness and participate in while we’re on the road.
The term “road rage” was popularized years ago, and encompasses a broad range of driving behavior, said Trooper Gabriel Moltrer, a spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol. He cites increased traffic, running late, and personal issues or circumstances as some of the common reasons drivers get frustrated – and sometimes angry – on the road.
Moltrer said the State Patrol goes after aggressive drivers and follows up reports of aggression on the road.
That enforcement appears to be showing results. Colorado has the highest rate of traffic tickets for aggressive/careless driving and speeding in the nation, according to Consumer Affairs research. At 1.81 per 100,000 people its rate is eight times the national average for violations.
Whether that means Colorado has more aggressive drivers or that law enforcement is simply better at catching them, the stat puts Colorado in the No. 3 spot for states with the most “road rage,” following Louisiana (which has the highest fatality rate for aggressive or careless driving) and New Mexico (for its high rate of traffic incidents involving gun violence). The state with the least road rage is Maine.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other organizations separate the definitions of aggressive driving and road rage, with road rage being an intentional assault with a motor vehicle or other weapon by the driver or a passenger of a motor vehicle. This would include behavior such as forcing another driver off the road, bumping into another vehicle or shooting a gun into another vehicle.
Aggressive driving, on the other hand, is driving that endangers others.
Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, drivers find some aggressive driving behaviors more acceptable than others, according to AAA Foundation research. For example, 81% of drivers believe running a red light is very or extremely dangerous but only 48% believe driving 15 mph over the speed limit is very or extremely dangerous.
Speeding is more socially acceptable, too, the study found. Perhaps because most drivers speed at least once in a while. But it is a major factor in crashes.
The AAA Foundation classifies about 35% of drivers on the road as safe drivers who rarely, if ever, engage in risky driving behavior. They are most likely to be women between 60 and 74 years old who aren’t working and don’t drive much.
The 2.5% classified as the most dangerous drivers are teenage boys, 16-18, who live in southern states and have little education. They tend to drive a lot, usually in cars that are at least 15 years old.
But there are millions of drivers outside of those profile groups who may be safe drivers most of the time but occasionally use a cell phone or speed or honk at someone who is annoying them. They intend no harm, but they are elevating their risk of being involved in a crash.
Traffic safety agencies suggest everyone do their part to lower the risks and bring some calm to the roadways. Here are tips for drivers who want to help tamp down anger and aggression on the road:
Check yourself:
- Obey the rules of the road, including speed limits;
- Signal when you change lanes;
- Don’t flash your lights to signal other drivers to get out of your way;
- Don’t speed up when someone is trying to pass you;
- Allow others to merge into traffic;
- Don’t cut in front of someone and then slow down, and
- Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get where you are going.
When you encounter an aggressive driver:
- Move out of their way if possible;
- Don’t engage with lewd gestures or honking;
- Avoid eye contact with angry drivers;
- Never pull over or follow someone off the road to try to resolve a conflict, and
- If you feel threatened, call 911.
Researched and written by Sue McMillin