Road rage incidents and violent driver behavior are on the rise during the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic
As tensions escalate on several fronts here in our part of the country during the current Coronavirus Pandemic, the danger of being seriously hurt or killed in a road rage incident is rising according to experts. See, e.g., “Road rage and cyclists’ injuries are sadly up in these tense Coronavirus times,” written by Sam Schwartz and published by the New York Daily News on March 22, 2020.
Indiana First in the Country for Road Rage Fatal Accidents
Road rage was already a serious problem facing drivers in Indiana and Illinois, even before the pressures of the current economic and social climate. In one 2018 insurance industry study, Indiana ranked first in the country for fatal accidents caused by road rage and aggressive driving.
Indiana was also first in the nation for road rage fatalities in 2016, with almost twice as many accidents as number two ranked Colorado. Read, “Indiana and Illinois: Deadliest Driving Conditions for Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents.”
What is Road Rage?
Road rage is an extreme form of aggressive driving. As for the danger of driver road rage, it can involve either the risk of violence against a particular person or an act that results in a fatal crash.
One recently published university study gives a definition of road rage as: “… a driver or passenger tries to kill, injure or intimidate another driver or passenger, or to damage their vehicle in a collision. A study from the UK revealed that of 60 road traffic accidents involving road rage, 20% ended with a fatality and 48% with a serious injury.” See, Theodor Itten. The Social Anthropology of Rage and Its Psychotherapeutic Challenge. International Journal of Science, Technology and Society. Vol. 8, No. 3, 2020, p. 69. doi: 10.11648/j.ijsts.20200803.15
According to Illinois’ respected safety advocates at the National Security Council (“NSC”), “road rage” involves: “Aggressive, sometimes violent, behavior by drivers usually stemming from stress related to driving or non-driving factors…. It can involve factors like speeding, illegal maneuvers, and false assumptions of other road user’s actions…. In extreme instances, road rage can spill out of the vehicle and turn into assault.”
2020 Road Rage Study
A new insurance study by an insurance comparison group reveals that almost half of all drivers in the United States (46%) drive with some type of weapon in their motor vehicle (gun, knife, bat, etc.). See, “Road Rage Statistics” written by Taylor Covington and published by The Zebra on June 2, 2020.
Some chilling information shared in this 2020 Road Rage survey includes the following:
- The top three reasons for road rage are drivers who become angry over
- Tailgating;
- Distracted driving; or
- Getting cut off.
- 82% of drivers in the U.S. admit to having road rage or driving aggressively at least once in the past year.
Three Road Rage Shootings in Illinois and Indiana in the Past 3 Weeks
Three weeks ago, Illinois police responded to a road rage incident near the corner of College Drive and Ridgeland Avenue in Palos Heights. According to news reports, two drivers became angry with each other in a traffic dispute. One of the drivers became so enraged that he pulled a gun and shot into the vehicle door of the other driver. Thankfully, no one – including the infant inside that vehicle – was hurt. For details, read “Driver Accused of Shooting at Car with Baby Inside,” written by Lorraine Swanson and published by Patch on June 24, 2020.
This week, Indiana State Police are pointing to road rage as the reason that a man died on I-465 near the Indiana 37 interchange. News coverage reveals that the driver of a Chevrolet Impala or Malibu pulled alongside the victim’s white van and began shooting. The road rage shooting victim died from his injuries.
For more, read “ISP on Interstate-465 Shooting: It’s an Active Investigation Into Possible Road Rage Incident,” written by Tom Maccabe and published by The IndyChannel on July 14, 2020 and “Man killed in shooting on I-465 in Indy; police put out suspect, vehicle description” published by Fox59 on July 14, 2020.
This was the second reported road rage incident where someone was shot while driving on I-465 in Indianapolis within the past week. On a Sunday afternoon, shots were fired at a white pickup truck driving southbound on I-465 near the Shadeland Avenue exit. The victim was taken to the hospital for gunshot wounds to his neck while the female passenger, the victim’s girlfriend, and her three (3) year old child were not hurt. For details, read “ISP seeks information after Sunday shooting on I-465,” published by Fox59 on July 13, 2020 and “Man randomly shot in neck while driving on I-465, victim’s girlfriend says,” published by Fox59 on July 14, 2020.
Justice for Road Rage Accident Victims in Illinois and Indiana
Road rage is a growing danger for all of us driving the roads of Indiana and Illinois. Not only will minor forms of road rage (speeding, yelling, etc.) contribute to serious motor vehicle accidents here, but in today’s volatile climate, there is a growing likelihood of deadly weapons being used by a driver experiencing road rage.
Victims of road rage (both drivers and passengers) who are not responsible for the road rage incident and its resulting injuries have legal avenues for justice available to them under the state laws of Indiana and Illinois.
Criminal prosecutions resulting from road rage charges are distinctly different from any civil claims that can be filed based upon state personal injury laws. This may include cases based upon negligence, negligent entrustment, negligent supervision, and more.
Road rage is a serious threat to everyone on the roads of Indiana and Illinois, and more and more drivers are experiencing road rage in 2020. Please be careful out there!
