A study by the Auto Insurance Center found that 77 fatal accidents in Indiana were related to road rage or aggressive driving in 2016, the most in the United States. That means 10% of Indiana’s fatal roadway accidents in 2016 were related to this entirely preventable cause.
Overall, one person in the US suffers a deadly accident due to road rage or aggressive driving every day, according to the study. Auto Insurance Center used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Reporting System to conduct the analysis. South Carolina and Alabama each had 64 deaths related to road rage, and Colorado had 54. 15 states only had one such car accident and 20 states had no such deaths.
Have you been injured in a motor vehicle accident? Christie Farrell Lee & Bell has an experienced team of car accident attorneys who can help you explore your options.
What Factors Trigger Road-Rage?
In addition to regional data, the study examined other factors of road rage to see what incidents shared in common. 4-6 pm was the most common time for fatal car accidents to occur overall, especially because texting while driving peaks around this time. But road-rage or aggressive driving-related fatal incidents don’t follow that trend, and instead tend to occur around 10pm.
These accidents were also slightly more common on Sundays and Mondays and during hot months like July and September. The holiday months of November, December, and January were the low period in road rage and aggressive driving nationwide. Also, more of these specific incidents occur on local roads than on interstates, while fatal car accidents overall are more likely to happen on the interstate.
Road Rage By Generation
54% of these fatal road-rage moments were instigated by Millennials. Members of Gen X caused 24% of deadly accidents related to road rage or aggressive driving in 2016. Gen Z caused 14% and Baby Boomers caused 8%. On the flip side, 24% of deadly car accidents not related to road rage involved Baby Boomers.
The exact trigger in each situation that causes a driver to lose rationality is usually minor. However, the consequences of an inability to manage anger can be far-reaching and even lead to loss of life. We call on every Hoosier to take a moment, take a deep breath, and practice patience rather than permanently taking the life of another due to a momentary frustration.
Have you been injured in a motor vehicle accident? Christie Farrell Lee & Bell has an experienced team of car accident attorneys who can help you explore your options.