Deadly Rise in Road Rage

Getting behind the wheel to test for a driver’s license is already a nerve-wracking experience for most teens. Now, add to that an aggressive driver, fueled with rage, speeding behind one of these teens on the road — and we can understand how crazy things became very quickly for one young woman.

A Pleasant Grove, Utah, teen somehow survived this situation earlier this week.

Male and younger drivers ages 19 to 39 were significantly more likely to engage in aggressive behaviors.

Joseph Byington, 33, now faces charges of aggravated assault, assault, disorderly conduct, and reckless driving after he attacked the teenager and her driving instructor. The two had pulled over into a church parking lot to get away from Byington when he went after the instructor with a knife, KSL-TV, the NBC affiliate in Salt Lake City, reported.

Both the student and the instructor are OK — and the teen driver somehow passed her driving test after the frightening incident.

Too many people are impatient behind the wheel — and their anger can quickly turn deadly.

Nearly 80 percent of drivers expressed significant anger, aggression or road rage behind the wheel at least once in the past year, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety revealed in a recent study. Most alarming, approximately eight 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.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also found in another study that the number has been steadily increasing at a rate of 7 percent each year.

“Inconsiderate driving, bad traffic and the daily stresses of life can transform minor frustrations into dangerous road rage,” said Jurek Grabowski, director of research for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “Far too many drivers are losing themselves in the heat of the moment and lashing out in ways that could turn deadly.”

In Seattle, police arrested four men after they allegedly pulled a motorist from his car on Wednesday, and beat him on the West Seattle Bridge. Police in San Diego are searching for a woman they say opened fire on another vehicle early Thursday morning.

“We take those calls for service very seriously because we know there’s always a possibility of it turning into a significant incident,” said one police lieutenant.

In Colorado Springs, where extreme incidents of road rage are rare, police continue to investigate three homicides from last weekend. At least two of those incidents are being examined as incidences of road rage.

It is rare for a road rage incident in Colorado Springs to escalate to such a level, police Lt. Howard Black told LifeZette, and he has no data to prove incidents are statistically on the rise.

However, he said, “It’s a phenomenon that continues to increase across the country and it is a concern everywhere. Our officers pay attention to that issue. As our city grows, the volume of traffic continues to increase and with that, it can cause some inappropriate conduct [by] people toward other motorists.”

Nine out of 10 people believe aggressive drivers are a serious threat to their personal safety.

Male and younger drivers ages 19 to 39 were significantly more likely to engage in aggressive behaviors. Drivers living in the northeast were significantly more likely to yell, honk or gesture angrily than people living in other parts of the country. And drivers who reported other unsafe behaviors behind the wheel, such as speeding and running red lights, also were more likely to show aggression.

[lz_bulleted_list title=”What Drivers Do Most Often” source=”AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety”]Tailgating: 51%|Yelling at other drivers: 47%|Honking to show anger: 45%|Making angry gestures: 33%|Blocking other cars from changing lanes: 24%|Cutting off another car: 12%|Getting out of car to confront another driver: 4%|Bumping or ramming into another car: 3%[/lz_bulleted_list]

“It’s completely normal for drivers to experience anger behind the wheel, but we must not let our emotions lead to destructive choices,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research. “Don’t risk escalating a frustrating situation — you never know what the other driver might do. Maintain a cool head, and focus on reaching your destination safely.”

To do that, highway safety officials say: Never deliberately cause other drivers to change their speed or direction, use their brakes, or turn the steering wheel in response to something you have done.

Also, be tolerant and forgiving — the other driver may be having a really bad day. Assume it’s not personal and do not respond. Avoid eye contact, don’t make gestures, maintain space around your vehicle, and contact 911 if needed.

[lz_ndn video=31165046]

“I can see it when I’m driving out there. I can hear it when calls for services are being dispatched out. We take those calls for service very seriously because we know there’s always a possibility it might turn into a significant incident,” said Black.

“If someone continues to be aggressive with you, turn off. Don’t engage. Make a turn, slow down, move into another area. If they continue to follow you, we want you to call 911. If it’s a road rage incident you’re seeing, call your local police department. It’s common sense, it’s taking a breath, it’s okay to feel frustrated — but don’t use your car or your actions to move a situation to where it becomes physical or could be violent.”