According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), roughly 66% of car accident fatalities are caused by aggressive driving.
Imagine, it’s a nice day in Missouri and you’re in your car, driving. Perhaps you’re going to work; maybe you’re off visiting a friend or you just want to take a nice relaxing drive. Everything’s fine. Until someone cuts you off abruptly, and you start feeling what is commonly known as “road rage.”
Everyone has experienced it at some point. The problem is, this anger many drivers feel while on the road seeps into the way they drive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), roughly 66% of car accident fatalities are caused by aggressive driving. Clearly, road rage is a big problem for drivers.
Causes and Consequences
Retaliating may seem like a good idea at the time, however, it could potentially have devastating consequences.
The causes of road rage can greatly depend on a variety of factors, such as how the driver was feeling at that moment, any history of anger outbursts or others. Even the action or mistake that fuels the outburst can differ, from heavy traffic to tailgating. Either way, road rage often causes drivers to react aggressively.
Sometimes, road rage can lead to accidents if the person wants to seek revenge on the drivers who “bug them” at the time. If this happens, drivers will generally be held accountable for their actions, and be required to pay for the damages they’ve caused.
Liability
Missourians who cause an accident because of road rage aren’t exempt from liability. If you’ve been the victim of such an event, you’ll most likely have to file a personal injury claim with the driver’s auto insurance company and ask for compensation. Outburst or not, the driver intentionally tried to hurt you, and it may also be possible to sue them in civil court. This is best discussed with a St. Louis car accident attorney to determine if this is the best option in your particular case.
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