For many, driving on the road can be a stressful activity. Drivers who have to endure hours of waiting in their cars for traffic to move or follow a slower vehicle can start to feel infuriated. When it evolves into full road rage, they make irrational decisions that put the other drivers on the road at risk.
Unfortunately, Colorado has had an excessive amount of accidents occur from road rage in recent times. A study from the Fatal Analysis Reporting System shows that in 2016, Colorado had the second highest percentage of fatalities from road rage and aggressive driving. Motorists should be aware of the state’s road rage frequency to properly prepare themselves for any future aggressive drivers.
Road rage statistics
In 2016, there were a total of 53 reported deaths from acts of road rage or aggressive driving in Colorado. This made up 9.5 percent of the motor vehicle fatalities that year. The only state that beat Colorado was Indiana by 0.5 percent.
The study also highlighted what times of the day and year road rage incidents are more likely to occur. They determined 10 p.m. to have the highest percentage of aggressive driving accidents with 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. coming in a close second. The months with the highest road rage percentages are July and September. This is likely due to July having one of the most dangerous holidays of the year for drivers and September having many children and teenagers going back to school.
Dealing with aggressive drivers
With Colorado’s high rate of road rage fatalities, it is crucial to understand any signs of aggressive driving and how to appropriately deal with it. A study by the AAA shows that nearly 80 percent of drivers experience road rage, so there is a high chance that you may have to deal with one at some point.
Some aggressive driving and road rage acts include:
- Excessive honking
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Cursing other drivers
- Cutting others off closely
- Aiming to hit other vehicles or pedestrians
- Pulling over to fight the other driver
- Threatening the other driver with a weapon
To avoid these drivers, it is recommended to slow down and let them pass you or change lanes and take an exit to get away from them. You need to avoid giving any signs they could see as confrontational such as returning any rude gestures or making eye contact.
If you are a victim from an act of aggressive driving or road rage, you may be able to seek legal action against the negligent driver and receive compensation from any personal injuries or damages you received from the other motorist’s irrational behavior.