The rate of aggressive driving and road rage is rising across Florida and the United States, which is problematic for all motorists. Florida is also one of the worst states for aggressive driving, according to research.
Florida currently ranks first in the nation when it comes to road rage incidents involving firearms, according to Bankrate.
In the United States, most drivers will encounter dangerous drivers. According to AAA, road rage is responsible for more than half of all fatal car accidents. According to a separate years-long study, road rage episodes result in about 30 deaths and 1,800 injuries every year.
What is Road Rage?
Tailgating, weaving, and speeding are all forms of aggressive driving. According to one survey, nearly 80 percent of drivers have expressed significant anger or aggression behind the wheel at least once over the previous year. In addition, an analysis found that aggressive driving was involved in 56 percent of fatal crashes over five years.
During the past few decades, the increased use of personal cars and the busy flow of traffic on most roads worldwide have led to an alarming increase in road rage incidents. There are several ways in which aggressive driving is generally defined, including rude gestures, tailgating, cursing, brake-checking, physical assaults, honking, swerving, and more.
Aggressive Driving in The US
In the United States, aggressive driving plays a significant role in traffic crashes, contributing to road rage and a large number of fatal highway crashes each year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), aggressive driving is when “an individual commits multiple moving traffic offenses in a way that endangers others or property.”
Despite the difficulty of quantifying aggressive driving, a 2008 study by the American Automobile Association found that it played a role in 56 percent of fatal crashes between 2003 and 2007, with excessive speed being the leading cause. According to NHTSA, speeds were also the leading driving behavior associated with deadly crashes in 2019 (17.2%), followed by drunk driving (10.1%):
- Improperly following
- Erratically changing lanes
- Illegally driving on the shoulder, in ditches, or on the sidewalk or median
- Illegal passing
- Driving erratically, recklessly, carelessly, or negligently or changing speed suddenly
- Failure to yield right of way
- Not obeying traffic signs, traffic control devices, or traffic officers, failure to observe safety zone traffic laws
- Not following warnings or instructions
- Failure to use signals
- Going too fast for the conditions or exceeding the posted speed limit
- Racing
- Making improper turns
It is often the experience of driving that creates an element of anonymity. As we are enclosed within the pod-like confines of our car, we may begin to see the outside world as an observer instead of a participant. The feeling of detachment may cause drivers to behave more aggressively or impolitely towards other drivers than they would in another social situation.
In America, rude driving behavior and aggressive driving are all too common. Over the past year, nearly half of all US drivers reported at least one incident of aggressive behavior, anger, or road rage towards another vehicle.
Some forms of rude driving behaviors can be extremely dangerous, even though drivers may not feel particularly responsible for their behavior. For example, honking is one thing, but disrespecting oncoming drivers by tailgating them or running a red light in a reckless manner is quite another.
Can You Sue for a Road Rage Car Accident?
It is absolutely your right to sue an aggressive driver if you or a passenger were injured as a result of a road rage incident. However, if you file a personal injury lawsuit, you will need to demonstrate that the driver at fault was negligent as with any other injury claim. This is where our team at the Bodden and Bennett Law Group can help you, as we are experienced, personal injury lawyers. Although road rage may be a prominent factor in an accident, proving fault without a car accident lawyer can be difficult.
Road rage is a criminal offense. The prosecutor can bring charges against a road rage driver for violating the motor vehicle code or using the vehicle to commit a violent crime.
A criminal charge may be filed separately from a civil suit in cases of road rage. However, a civil lawsuit may also recover punitive damages since road rage cases often involve acts of deliberate and heinous harm to innocent victims. In Florida, punitive damages are not capped and are different from the economic and non-economic damages typically awarded in a personal injury case.
You deserve compensation for damages suffered if you or someone you love has been involved in a road rage car accident in Florida.
Our firm handles all road rage accident cases on a contingency basis, so our clients don’t pay us anything until we win their case.
Contact us online or call an experienced road rage accident lawyer at (561) 806-5229 for a free case evaluation.
