Every person has felt frustrated while driving in traffic. Whether it is caused by a personal problem or running late for an appointment, many people can experience feelings of anxiousness or anger while driving. However, taking out your aggression while driving can be dangerous and risky to others on the road. Driving aggressively can quickly turn into road rage. This occurs when a driver becomes a danger to either themselves or others on the roadways. Watching for the signs of road rage in other drivers can help you avoid possible accidents that can result in serious injuries and other losses.
Road Rage Often Results in Violations of the Law
Some of the most common ways to determine whether or not someone is exhibiting signs of road rage is that they are seemingly purposefully violating laws and regulations of the road. Some of the types of road rage behaviors include speeding, passing vehicles illegally (such as on the shoulder of the roadway), tailgating, failing to yield to other drivers when appropriate, changing lanes improperly, or simply failing to obey posted traffic signs and signals.
Road Rage Signs
While drivers who seem to purposefully violate the rules of the road and the law are strong indicators of road rage, there are additional signs of violent or aggressive behavior that may not include any actual violation of a law or posted traffic signal. Make note of any drivers that are behaving recklessly or negligently on the roadways to attempt to avoid them as much as possible, and also avoid any accidents that they may cause. Some of the examples of other road rage signs may include making offensive hand gestures, honking the horn excessively, abruptly braking or accelerating, yelling any threats or vulgarities out of the window, intentionally cutting off cars in traffic, intentionally blocking cars in traffic, running another car off of the road, chasing another car at high speed, performing dangerous maneuvers, stopping the car so you have either a verbal or physical confrontation, or behaving in any kind of destructive or malicious way.
Filing a Claim Against a Driver for Road Rage
If a person is driving aggressively or negligently on the roadways, it may be challenging to file a claim for injuries that result. Unless law enforcement directly sees that a driver is operating a motor vehicle in a reckless way, you will probably have to be involved in an actual accident in order to pursue charges. However, it is important to note that if you see a driver acting in an aggressive manner or operating a vehicle in a negligent way, you should call 911 or contact law enforcement immediately. If you are able to give them the license plate number, the model and make of the vehicle, and the direction that they are headed, the police will be able to attempt to find the aggressive driver and issue them a citation.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
If you were involved in an accident as a result of a driver’s road rage, you have the legal right to receive compensation for your injuries and losses that were a direct result of their negligence. We can tell you more after learning about the unique facts and circumstances of your accident. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney at Griggs Injury Law at (816) 474-0202 today.
