WASHINGTON, D. C. (Thursday, February 22, 2018) –– Shots fired. A woman was shot in a road rage incident during the morning rush hour in Alexandria in July. The suspect was summarily arrested. Unfortunately, it is not an isolated incident, as area roadways sometimes seem like the “wild, wild west” and road rage suspects are arrested and charged with “attempted aggravated malicious wounding.” More and more drivers are “Hulking Out” behind the wheel. As a timely reminder of the inherent dangers, February is “Aggressive Driving Awareness Month.” To defuse rage and aggression on the part of other drivers, don’t engage and don’t respond, advises AAA Mid-Atlantic. Plus be tolerant and forgiving.

Lawmakers in Annapolis are weighing a bill today, HB 881 that, if passed, would reduce the number of offenses a motorist must simultaneously commit to be ticketed for aggressive driving. It’s at least three now. AAA Mid-Atlantic supports the measure. Maryland and ten other states have passed specific aggressive driving laws. On area roadways, enraged motorists are threatening lives in high dudgeon, hurling ethnic epithets and racial slurs in streams of invectives, and even pointing or firing guns into other vehicles with intent to kill or wound during road rage incidents. More local police department blotters now read “arrest made in an assault with a dangerous weapon in road rage incident.” Locally, motorists are wielding knives in fury, brandishing an assortment of other weapons in wrath, throwing brooms in a frenzy, and slapping faces.

 “Behind the wheel, all of us can fall into the trap of being Dr. Jekyll one moment, and Mr. Hyde, his alternative personality, the next. Far too many area drivers are losing themselves in the heat of the moment and lashing out in ways that could turn deadly,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s spokesman.  “In the Washington metro area, driver violence, inconsiderate driving, bad traffic and the daily stresses of life can transform minor frustrations into dangerous road rage and aggressive driving behavior. Turn the other cheek, and avoid the temptation to get even, seek revenge or intimidate aggressive drivers.”

Speeding is one of the most prevalent aggressive behaviors behind the wheel. Some drivers are deadly devils in disguise. For example: in December, an Alexandria man fired and struck another vehicle during a road rage incident on Interstate 395. The suspect was “charged with brandishing a firearm and shooting at an occupied vehicle.” Nearly 80 percent of drivers in the United States have expressed significant anger and aggression behind the wheel, according to a research by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. 

Over six million crashes in the United States are caused by road rage, estimates the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Aggressive driving accounts for more than half of all traffic fatalities” nationally, highway safety advocates warn. Male drivers of the species, between the ages of 25 and 34 years, are involved in the highest number of fatalities and serious injuries related to aggressive driving. In contrast, it is male drivers ages 21 to 34 in Maryland. Statewide, 61.4 percent of aggressive driving fatalities occur in Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, and Baltimore City, reveals the Maryland Highway Safety Plan. Disquieting examples of driver violence on area roads include:

·         The Maryland  State Police arrested a driver from Virginia earlier this month after he  reportedly pointed a gun at another vehicle  on Interstate 95 near Laurel, Maryland. The suspect was taken into custody “in connection with a suspected road rage incident.”

·         A month earlier, another Virginia man was accused of shooting into a car during a road rage incident in Powhatan, Virginia. 

·         In December, the driver of a BMW reportedly attempted to ram his vehicle into a young driver who stopped his vehicle along on Route 198 in Prince George’s County.

·         In October, the Maryland State Police arrested a man in connection with the stabbing of a passenger in a Silverado pick-up truck on the Intercounty Connector (ICC)/MD 200. Maryland State Troopers say the incident occurred on the “ramp from the ICC to northbound I-95 during rush hour traffic.” The accused 49-year-old suspect was charged with “attempted second-degree murder, first-and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, possession of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure, concealing a dangerous weapons and disturbing the peace.”

·         A road rage incident reportedly spilled over into a home invasion incident in Woodbridge in October 2017. Two residents were assaulted inside a home by three persons who followed them there after the alleged road rage incident.

·         In July 2017, a Stafford man was charged with assault in a road rage incident that spilled over into a parking lot of a convenience store on Route 3. The “Hulk mode” suspect was charged after reportedly throwing a broom at another vehicle.

·         A female driver assaulted and stabbed another driver with a knife during a road rage incident in the 1800 block of East Capitol Street, Northeast, on October 4, 2016. “The suspect produced a knife, stabbed the victim, and then fled the scene in her vehicle.”

“It’s completely normal for drivers to experience anger behind the wheel, but we must not let our emotions lead to destructive choices,” said Townsend. “Don’t risk escalating a frustrating situation because you never know what the other driver might do. Maintain a cool head and a cool hand, and focus on reaching your destination safely.” The most alarming findings regarding driver violence suggest that approximately eight million U.S. drivers engaged in some type of road rage, including purposefully ramming another vehicle or getting out of the car to confront another driver.

Aggressive driving behavior is described as:

·         Cutting off another vehicle on purpose.

·         Trying to block another vehicle from changing lanes.

·         Making angry gestures.

·         Honking to show annoyance or anger.

·         Weaving in and out of traffic.

·         Running red and yellow traffic lights.

·         Purposefully tailgating or following too closely.

Rage and aggression on roadways are more common occurrences than previously thought. From 2009-2013, approximately 6,000 aggressive driving crashes occurred yearly in Maryland. Given this:

• Don’t Offend: Never cause another driver to change their speed or direction. That means not forcing another driver to use their brakes, or turn the steering wheel in response to something you have done.
• Be Tolerant and Forgiving: The other driver may just be having a really bad day. Assume that it’s not personal.
• Do Not Respond: Avoid eye contact, don’t make gestures, maintain space around your vehicle and contact 9-1-1 if needed.

Drivers who reported other unsafe behaviors behind the wheel, such as speeding and running red lights, also were more likely to show aggression, notes AAA Mid-Atlantic.

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