The Road to Rage

We’re all well aware of the dangers when we get behind the wheel of a car-the perils of drinking and driving, the dangers of slippery roads, the risk of a speeding, careless or distracted motorist. Few of us, however, worry about getting hit with a baseball bat or shot to death before we arrive at our destination.

And, while statistics suggest that we shouldn’t worry about it too much, they also indicate that road rage causes a small, but increasing percentage of deaths on U.S. roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, road rage was linked to 467 fatal crashes in 2015, up 500 percent from the 80 recorded in 2006. And the number of firearms used during a road rage more than doubled between 2014 (247 incidents) to 2016 (620).

Here are examples of news headline over the week between March 20 and March 27, 2018.

“Family, Friends, Mourn Death of Teen Killed in Road Rage Incident.”
What is Road Rage and How Does It Happen? “Plantation [Florida] Woman Hit with Baseball Bat in Road Rage Attack.”
“Road Rage Stabbing Not Typical, Greensburg Police Say.”
“Road Rage Incident Leads to Shooting at Apartment Complex.”

I want this blog to be more than just a cautionary tale, so let’s look at how we can keep our tempers in check while driving…