The term “road rage” encompasses a wide range of dangerous driving behaviors, from cutting off other drivers to using a vehicle as a weapon. While extreme cases of road rage are relatively rare, aggressive driving habits that can escalate into such incidents are unfortunately common. Bankrate’s insurance editorial team examined the latest data on violent anger on America’s roadways to help drivers navigate these perilous situations.
What is road rage?
Road rage doesn’t have a single precise definition, but it generally refers to extreme aggressive driving where drivers exhibit anger or violent behavior toward others on the road. While law enforcement doesn’t typically categorize road rage as a specific offense, various organizations offer different definitions:
- American Automobile Association (AAA): A violent criminal act involving an intention to cause physical harm; an extreme form of aggressive driving.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): An intentional assault by a driver or passenger with a motor vehicle or weapon that occurs on the roadway or is precipitated by an incident on the roadway.
- New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV): An angry, hostile state that can escalate into violent criminal actions or attempts resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle.
- Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV): Violent or visibly angry behavior that can result in crashes or other incidents on roadways.
Road rage behaviors
It’s crucial to distinguish between aggressive driving and road rage, although aggressive driving can escalate into road rage. Aggressive driving encompasses common behaviors such as speeding, as well as less common actions like frequent lane changes, tailgating, cutting off other drivers, and running red lights. Road rage, however, escalates these behaviors into more violent and potentially hazardous actions.
Aggressive Driving vs. Road Rage
| Aggressive Driving | Road Rage | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic definition | Deliberate, unsafe driving behavior that poses a risk to property or another | Extreme deliberate, angry driving that poses an immediate and significant risk to property or another |
| Common behaviors | Tailgating Speeding in heavy traffic Cutting off another driver Running red lights Weaving in and out traffic Frequently changing lanes | Rude or inflammatory gestures Profanity Hitting, bumping, sideswiping or ramming another vehicle Use of headlights or brakes to intimidate or harass other drivers Forcing another car off the road |
Road rage statistics
Insights from Bankrate:
- According to the 2022 AAA Traffic Safety Culture Index, over 17 percent of drivers engage in aggressive driving behaviors like speeding, running red lights, rapid lane changes, and tailgating.
- Road rage incidents led to 481 shootings and 777 deaths between 2014 and 2023, as reported by The Trace.
- Various factors contribute to road rage and aggressive driving, including traffic congestion, running late, and disregard for traffic laws and others.
- Speeding, a common form of aggressive driving, resulted in 12,151 deaths on U.S. roadways in 2022, according to NHTSA.
- A survey by AAA found that 13.5 percent of drivers admitted to regularly or “fairly often” driving at least 15 mph over the freeway speed limit in the past 30 days.
- The Trace reported that road rage-related deaths from gun violence surged by over 89 percent in the period of 2020-2024 compared to the four years before the COVID-19 pandemic.
How common is road rage?
Assessing the prevalence of road rage in 2024 is challenging due to varied definitions and limited law enforcement tracking. According to a 2019 study by AAA, up to 8 in 10 American drivers admitted to engaging in aggressive driving actions, such as running red lights or displaying anger toward other drivers. However, these behaviors do not always escalate into full-fledged road rage incidents.
Likelihood of Aggressive Driving Among U.S. Drivers (AAA, 2019)
| Behavior | Percentage of drivers | Estimated total number of drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Aggressively switching lanes while close to another vehicle | 26% | 57 million |
| Honking or making rude gestures | 32% | 71 million |
| Driving 15 mph or more over the highway speed limit | 48% | 106 million |
| Running a red light | 31% | 68 million |
| Cutting in front of another vehicle | 22% | 49 million |
| Speeding to prevent another vehicle from passing you | 25% | 55 million |
| Tailgating to prevent another vehicle from merging in front of you | 34% | 75 million |
| Rushing to merge into traffic in front of another vehicle | 28% | 62 million |
Gun violence on roads
While comprehensive data on road rage incidents per state is unavailable, The Trace’s study on road rage involving firearms offers insights. Texas, Florida, and California lead in the number of road rage incidents with guns, while New Mexico, Tennessee, and Wisconsin have the highest rates of armed road rage incidents per 1 million residents.
From 2014 to 2023, road rage shootings surged by 449%, with 481 people shot in 2023, down from 543 in 2022. Over the same period, 3,095 individuals were shot in road rage incidents, resulting in 777 fatalities. Houston, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Chicago, and Memphis witnessed the most road rage shootings over the past decade.
Road rage cases by state
| Rank | State | Number of road rage incidents involving a firearm |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 741 |
| 2 | Florida | 4 |
| 3 | California | 179 |
| 4 | Tennessee | 166 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 129 |
Road rage risk factors
What factors contribute to an increased likelihood of road rage incidents? While such incidents can occur anytime and anywhere, certain circumstances elevate the risk:
- Age: According to AAA’s 2022 research, drivers aged 19 to 24 are the most likely age group to engage in aggressive driving, with 30.3 percent reporting such behavior in the past 30 days. Additionally, 7.4 percent of this age group believe that their peers would approve of aggressive driving.
- Gender: While both men and women are represented in the “Distracted and Aggressive” driver category, AAA’s “Most Dangerous” driver category is predominantly composed of men, accounting for 59 percent of individuals.
- Marital Status: AAA’s studies indicate that aggressive and dangerous drivers are more likely to have never been married, while the most dangerous driver category exhibits a higher proportion of divorced, widowed, or separated individuals.
- Month and Day: Road rage incidents are more common during the summer months, particularly in July, August, September, and October. Furthermore, they are more frequent toward the end of the week, based on an analysis of Instagram posts using the #roadrage hashtag.
- Time of Day: The use of the #roadrage hashtag peaks between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., aligning with rush hour traffic.
- Type of Car: According to the NHTSA, drivers with convertible tops up tend to honk longer, sooner, and more frequently compared to those with their convertible tops down.
Numerous behaviors repeatedly emerge in fatal accidents, many of which align with road rage incidents. The NHTSA identifies several major contributing factors to all motor vehicle crashes, several of which involve aggressive behaviors:
- Speeding
- Driving under the influence (DUI)
- Following improperly
- Improper or erratic lane changing
- Illegal driving on the road shoulder, in a ditch, or on sidewalk or median
- Passing where prohibited
- Operating the vehicle in an erratic, reckless, careless, or negligent manner or suddenly changing speeds
- Failure to yield right of way
- Failure to obey traffic signs, traffic control devices, or traffic officers, failure to observe safety zone traffic laws
- Failure to observe warnings or instructions on a vehicle displaying them
- Failure to signal
- Driving too fast for conditions or in excess of the posted speed limit
- Racing
Is your commute contributing to road rage?
Road rage predominantly impacts individuals who spend extensive time commuting, often encountering traffic congestion. This congestion remains a consistent catalyst for aggressive driving incidents.
In the U.S., traffic and congestion persistently congest roadways, resulting in prolonged commuting hours spent within vehicles. The INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard identifies the cities where commuters endure the most time in their cars, highlighting the following U.S. cities as particularly challenging:
| U.S. City | Number of hours spent in traffic per year |
|---|---|
| New York City | 102 |
| Chicago, IL | 104 |
| Philadelphia, PA | 90 |
| Boston, MA | 78 |
| Miami, FL | 66 |
The psychology behind road rage
The escalation of road rage incidents may have underlying psychological causes. According to the American Psychological Association, road rage results from a combination of environmental factors like traffic congestion and emotional factors such as uncontrolled anger. It manifests as drivers channel anxiety, stress, and anger from various life aspects into aggressive behavior on the road.
Additional observations include:
- Young men and individuals with substance abuse issues are more prone to experiencing road rage.
- Agitated drivers exhibit riskier behaviors, such as driving at speeds exceeding the limit by 10-20 miles per hour, frequent lane changes, tailgating, and disregarding traffic signals.
- Drivers with high levels of anger are twice as likely to be involved in accidents.
How road rage impacts car insurance rates
Car insurance serves to offer financial protection for various car-related incidents, but it typically excludes coverage for intentional acts like road rage. Most car insurance policies, including those from providers like Allstate, explicitly state that they won’t cover losses caused intentionally by an insured individual.
This implies that if you’re found guilty of road rage, your car insurance policy might not provide coverage, leaving you responsible for covering any resulting losses personally. Moreover, the affected party could pursue additional damages through legal action.
Being found guilty of road rage or aggressive driving could also lead to your insurance company dropping your coverage due to negligence. In such cases, you might need to obtain SR-22 insurance as a high-risk driver, which serves as proof of having the minimum legally required coverage. While the SR-22 form itself doesn’t directly result in higher insurance rates, the incident prompting its need could lead to increased premiums.
Engaging in road rage behaviors is likely to raise car insurance rates due to heightened insurable risk, though the extent of the increase depends on factors such as your location and other elements in your risk profile.
How to prevent road rage
Road rage is a widespread issue, but there are steps you can take while driving to lower the risk of being involved in such incidents.
To avoid contributing to road rage, it’s essential to adhere to traffic regulations and display courtesy towards other drivers. Here are some tips to help:
- Maintain a safe distance between your vehicle and others on the road.
- Always signal your intentions using turn signals.
- Allow space for other drivers to merge into traffic.
- Avoid using offensive gestures or language.
- Practice patience, whether you’re at an intersection, in traffic, or waiting for parking.
- Use high beams only when necessary for visibility.
Despite the frustrations of driving in the U.S., it’s crucial to prioritize safety over all else. Patient and considerate driving can help ensure that you arrive at your destination without incident.
What to do in a road rage situation
In the event of a road rage incident, it’s crucial to prioritize safety and maintain composure. Here are some steps to follow:
- Stay calm and focus on reaching your destination safely.
- Avoid engaging with the other driver or responding to gestures or remarks.
- Refrain from making eye contact and ensure seat belts are securely fastened.
- If you’re being followed, avoid going home and instead seek refuge in a police station, hospital, fire station, or other populated area.
- Once you’ve reached safety, call 911 and provide detailed information such as the time, date, location, license plate, vehicle description, and driver description.
- Document the incident thoroughly and be prepared to provide a detailed report or testify in court if necessary.