Believe it or not, according to a new study, women are more likely than men to display acts of road rage. According to CBS New York, the study looked at about 4,000 drivers across the country and discovered that close to 60 percent said that they experienced road rage behind the wheel.
And it was the women who were more likely to fly off the handle.
More specifically, the study concluded that more than 60 percent of women admitted to experiencing road rage while only about 56 percent of men reported it impacted their life behind the wheel.
Our Queens accident lawyers understand how common road rage is in our very own city. The congested roadways do not oftentimes sit well with motorists and they’re not afraid to show it. It’s the young ones who are commonly displaying these behaviors. Drivers between the ages of 25- and 34-years-old were actually most likely to get heated behind the wheel and act out. Only about 45 percent of drivers who were over the age of 54-years-old were likely to do so.
According to state police, someone who engages in road rage is someone who “operates a motor vehicle in a selfish, bold or pushy manner without regard for the rights or safety of the other users of the streets and highways.”
About 10 percent of drivers who were recently surveyed said that their rage had ended up in an actual fight. “Road rage is driving under the influence of impaired emotions,” says Leon James, traffic psychologist at the University of Hawaii.
Lawmakers are looking to put an end to it. Take the Governor of New Jersey for example, Chris Christie. He recently signed a bill aimed at toughening penalties for road rage. With this change, drivers who engage in dangerous, enraged and aggressive habits behind the wheel can be subjected to time in prison and fines close to $20,000. These penalties are closer to those faced by motorists who cause injury or death in drunk driving accidents.
During a seven year span in the ’90s, there were more than 210 people murdered in road rage incidents nationwide. In addition, there were another 12,000 injuries, according to U.S. News.
What might be most alarming are the causes of these incidents. Many times, road rage incidents, accidents, injuries and fatalities are merely the result of an altercation over a parking spot, over a horn honk or even the speed of another motorist. Drivers just can’t keep their cool behind the wheel and we’re losing lives because of it.
You’re urged to keep your cool behind the wheel. There’s never a good reason to lose it. We’re all traveling together and we’re all using the same roads. Let’s work together to help to make this travel as painless as possible.
If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your case. Call 1-877-313-7673.
More Blog Entries:
More Slow Zones for NYC, Helping to Protect Pedestrians, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, August 26, 2012
Traffic Safety, Bumper Stickers & Teen Drivers in Queens, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, August 22, 2012
