News articles concerning shooting road rage incidents have pointed out how people can draw themselves into a road rage incident, as well as note some of the terrible mistakes that drivers make when they try to retaliate against an aggressive driver. Road rage is an aggressive driving incident where the driver has negatively engaged with another motorist to strike back at them for what they believe to be bad driving.
A recent incident in California involved an enraged driver who started shooting at another driver. Believing he had to defend himself, the second driver shot back, which resulted in a pitched gun battle on an interstate highway while other drivers swerved to get out of the way. Not only was the “road-rager” arrested, but the other driver, who felt justified in shooting back, was also surprised when he was arrested as well.
The terms “aggressive driving” and “road rage” are sometimes confused and often used interchangeably. While an aggressive driver can become a road-rager, the two are not the same. Road rage occurs when a driver tries to physically punish another driver.
Incidents of road rage have grown to epidemic proportions, and a quick Google search can turn up a surprising number of road rage incidents that happened within the past 24 hours; some of which involve gunfire.
As a victim of road rage, speaking with a knowledgeable aggressive driving lawyer at Avrek Law Firm about your case can be your best path to receiving the maximum compensation for your injuries and damages from this kind of incident.
How Can You Avoid Being the Victim of Road Rage?
There are a number of steps you can take to keep yourself from becoming a victim of shooting road rage. The key is to avoid, as much as possible, aggravating another driver. Pay attention to the road ahead of you and be aware of the drivers around you. If you see an aggressive driver approaching in your rear-view mirror, get out of his way. Move into another lane or give him plenty of space to get around you.
Giving full attention to your driving means putting your cell phone down. Cell phone users tend to drive slower and are not quick to regain speed after stopping at a red light. Avoid driving more slowly than the posted speed limit and stay in the right-hand lane unless you are actually passing another driver.
Keep the left lane clear for traffic that may want to pass or go faster. If you are on a two-lane road and traffic is building up behind you, pull over and allow faster traffic to pass. Additionally, use turn signals and let other drivers know your intentions at all times. Remember also that you can’t take the right-of-way; you can only give it up to someone else. Even if you legally have the right-of-way, if someone else insists on taking it, give it to them.
Most importantly, be courteous to other drivers even if they aren’t courteous in return. Trying to retaliate against another driver, either by honking your horn, flashing your lights, making gestures or trying to keep another driver from passing, can easily trigger a traffic game, and that can easily lead to a you becoming a road rage victim.
You may have experienced a traffic game in the past. For example, slowing down to shake someone tailgating only to have them pass you, then slow down trying to force you to pass. In this situation, the other driver is trying to “teach you a lesson.” If you then try to pass and allow yourself to be drawn into this situation, you can very quickly find yourself in a life-or-death struggle against an enraged driver.
The biggest mistake people make, and one that most often results in serious injury or death, is stopping to confront another driver. Remember that this person may have temporarily lost all touch with reality and may react in a way that is totally out of proportion to the incident. To avoid becoming a victim of road rage, stay away from these confrontations.
If you are an unfortunate road rage victim, do whatever it takes to get out of the situation, including getting off the road. Don’t allow yourself to be drawn in – you are never in such a hurry that it is worth becoming the victim of road rage.
When you find you need to speak with an aggressive driving lawyer about a road rage incident in which you were involved, Avrek Law Firm is here to help! Having recovered more than $1 Billion for clients, our track record speaks for itself. Contact us for a free consultation on your road rage victim injury claim.
