Road rage a leading cause of car accidents

A man involved in an accident that left a Boulder man injured will reportedly not be charged after an investigation revealed that he stopped his vehicle to avoid another car and not because of road rage. He had initially been accused of road rage after passing three professional triathletes who were riding together, pulling in front of them and causing one of them to crash into his vehicle and flip over his handlebars.

The accident left the cyclist with injuries to his elbow, shoulder and back. He did not stop to help the cyclists, and later said he did not know he had been injured. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office reportedly said there was no evidence that the driver committed a crime, though the cyclists continue to insist he was acting aggressively.

Road rage is, perhaps surprisingly, a major cause of car accidents and can lead to serious injuries involving multiple drivers. There can be a number of reasons why a driver can fly into a frenzy of anger on the road. Among them are when other drivers: text while driving; put on makeup while driving; drive too fast; tailgate; slam on their brakes; or run red lights. Regardless of what angers such drivers, there is no excuse for creating a life-threatening situation on the road.

Drivers who behave aggressively on the road are best dealt with not on the road, but in court. Holding them liable to damages and injuries they cause is a better course of action than participating in the aggression.

Source: Denverpost.com, “No charges in alleged road-rage accident near Boulder,” July 16, 2013.

Category:

• Car Accidents