Back in late June, two motorists were involved in a road rage incident on a stretch of I-95 in Pennsylvania that left a young woman dead. Anyone who has driven along I-95 as it connects the suburbs, to the Philadelphia Airport, Center City, the Betsy Ross Bridge, and New Jersey, knows that this highway can be dangerous. What wasn’t expected was for one of the drivers to pull out a gun and shoot an innocent victim in a cold and calculating fashion. There were no other injuries as the motorists did not collide.
More Road Rage Incident Involving Guns Being Reported
You wouldn’t think that an angry driver would think to pull out a gun and shoot it at another motorist, but it happens frequently enough. No state in the U.S. administers a psychological evaluation in conjunction with issuing licenses according to Cielo Gonzalez Villa, and motorists frequently keep firearms in their glove compartments and under the front seats of their car. A perpetrator of road rage could be having a bad day at work, experiencing money problems, or have completely given up on life before they just snap.
Is Road Rage Really on the Rise?
There is not any data that shows that road rage is overall increasing in the United States, but firearms are becoming more prevalent with aggressive drivers. A lot of times an aggressive driver might take a criminal action, leaving the victim in a state of shock. The offender doesn’t usually stick around for the authorities to come, and without a license plate number the incident goes unsolved. Be aware of the fact that guns can be present in another driver’s vehicle, and you won’t know if the aggressive driver is armed until you actually see a weapon.
The Best Way to Avoid a Brewing Road Rage Incident
Not all drivers are courteous and not all vehicular injustices can be righted. If someone cuts ahead of you and slams on your brakes, be thankful if you are able to avoid being in a wreck. Meeting aggressive driving behavior with more aggression is likely to lead to a confrontation that could be deadly. Excessively honking your horn, engaging in a verbal confrontation or following an aggressive driver in your vehicle could cause the tables to quickly turn. If you have a hands-free cellular device you can call 911, report the license plate number and a description of the vehicle and driver, and let the police do their job.
In Pennsylvania, Florida, Washington, and every other state in the country, there are incidents of road rage being reported daily. Some of these confrontations end up in the loss of life. In the greater Lehigh Valley, yet another driver has reportedly used a gun to end a road rage incident and silence the other driver forever. Use good judgement when you’re driving, never confront aggressive drivers and learn to just let it go.
You should find legal representation if a road rage incident has left you or a loved one irreparably harmed. It’s hard to tell what another person’s mental state is, particularly when you’re just trying to bob in weave out of traffic on a major road. Road rage is a reality of the 21st century and it is up to responsible drivers to report aggressive acts to the police right away.