Pennsylvania highway safety at risk due to road rage

Every Pennsylvania driver has experienced moments when other drivers cut them off or drive too slowly. Some react with patience, allowing the other driver to go on his or her way without incident. For others, however, the natural reaction is rage. These drivers may seriously jeopardize highway safety.

A recently released survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that aggressive driving and the resulting accidents seem to be increasing. While 80 percent of drivers admit they express some kind of negative reaction to others on the road, 90 percent of drivers feel their safety is at risk from aggressive drivers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that approximately two-thirds of fatal accidents are the result of driving too aggressively.

Aggressive driving comes in many degrees, from gesturing and shouting to ramming another car. Some drivers purposely prevent others from changing lanes or tailgate cars that cut them off. The study shows that men between the ages of 19 and 39 are three times more likely than women to get out of their cars to confront the target of their rage or to ram another car out of anger. About eight million drivers admit to this kind of road rage.

Law enforcement, AAA and the NHTSA are not alone in urging drivers to put highway safety above their own emotions behind the wheel. Many people in Pennsylvania have suffered the pain of losing someone in a road rage accident. Some sought the advice of an experienced attorney who fought to get them compensation for the loss of their loved ones.  

This blog entry was posted on behalf of [nap_names id=”FIRM-NAME-1″], and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the firm or its attorneys. The information presented in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice.

Source: phillytrib.com, “Road rage survey finds very few keep ‘cool head’“, Joan Lowy, July 19, 2016