Road Rage Accidents
Road Rage Accidents
Road rage accidents are 100 percent preventable. Unfortunately, we hear about road rage incidents and accidents all of the time. Sometimes, there are weapons involved. There is typically some type of harassment prior to the accident. A variety of aggressive driving behaviors can contribute to full-blown road rage incidents. You might think speeding when you’re late is innocuous enough, but speeding is one of the most common types of aggressive driving. If you have been injured in a road rage accident in or around the Jackson Metro Area, you need to speak with a skilled personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Complexities of a Road Rage Accident Case
Since a road rage accident may involve criminal charges, these accident cases can typically be a little more complicated than a more traditional car accident case. It may be necessary to gather information from multiple investigative agencies, and the at-fault driver could potentially be behind bars. You will need a lawyer with prove experience in handling car accident cases involving road rage. Your personal injury attorney can stay on top of investigative details with law enforcement and deal with your insurance company.
Aggressive Driving Escalates to Road Rage
A case of road rage rarely happens out of the blue. Typically, there are escalating behaviors that will lead to a full-on case of injury-causing or deadly road rage. Since most people deal with the stress of rush hour traffic in a healthy and calm manner, it may not seem possible for somebody to get mad enough to crash a car or harass another driver. Unfortunately, it happens more often than you might think, and a variety of aggressive behaviors behind the wheel can escalate to road rage. Listed below are just a few examples of aggressive driving habits.
Examples of Aggressive Driving
- Speeding
- Sudden acceleration
- Tailgating
- Sudden braking
- Blocking vehicles
- Cutting vehicles off
- Flashing headlights
- Shouting threats
- Merging aggressively
- Excessive use of horns
- Threatening hand gestures
Speeding and Tailgating
Speeding and tailgating may not seem scary by themselves, but in the greater context of roadway safety, they can be huge red flags. If you’re being aggressively tailgated or a car is racing around the roadway, those are clearly aggressive driving behaviors. Safe and relaxed drivers don’t get right up on other driver’s tails. It’s dangerous. Safe drivers know that they will need enough room to stop in the event of an emergency. An aggressive or road raging driver will not care about the consequences of following too closely. It may even be a deliberate effort to harass another driver. What’s more nerve wracking than having an aggressive driver ride your tail down the interstate?
The Recklessness of Road Rage
Road rage isn’t just about being mad behind the wheel. It’s about taking deliberately unsafe and dangerous risks behind the wheel. It’s about putting yourself and other motorists in harm’s way. Speeding, tailgating, swerving in and out of lanes and sudden braking can all cause injury-causing and even deadly wrecks. These behaviors don’t happen in a vacuum of safe driving habits. They happen in the real world, where dangerous driving gets innocent people hurt and killed.
Protecting Yourself During a Road Rage Incident
Although it may be easier said than done, there are some ways to protect yourself during a potential road rage incident. First, if another driver is harassing you, try to avoid directing any potentially inflammatory behavior back at that person. Honking at a dangerous aggressive driver may seem like the right thing to do, but if you’re dealing with a serious road rager, it might make matters worse. Avoiding eye contact is also a helpful tactic. If you feel like your safety or your life is being threatened, call 911 or drive to a local police station if you can. Whatever you do, don’t get out of your car to confront the other driver. He or she may be armed and unstable. Ultimately, a really determined road rager is going to do whatever he or she wants. You can try to minimize the danger, but that person has already decided to put everybody on the road in great danger.
Who to Call After a Road Rage Accident in Jackson
After a road rage accident, it’s important to speak with a skilled personal injury lawyer. These cases can involve multiple agencies, so it’s critical to have somebody experienced on your side, looking out for you and your family. If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a road rage accident in Jackson, contact the proven legal team at Coxwell & Associates, PLLC at (601) 265-7766 for a free consultation today.
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