Statewide Iowa (RI) – A road rage incident in eastern Iowa’s Linn County last weekend ended with one of the drivers jailed on a charge of attempted murder. Triple-A has released a study that finds road rage is becoming more frequent, more agressive and — it’s contagious. Spokesman Brian Ortner says the report found exposure to aggressive driving fuels more aggression behind the wheel.
The survey of licensed drivers found virtually every one admitted to things like red-light running, speeding, tailgating, honking, or cutting off other vehicles, during the past year. It also reveals a self-perpetuating cycle: the more drivers encounter hostility on the road, the more likely they are to respond in kind.
How can you avoid road rage? The study found that even the calmest drivers can get drawn into a incident after a single hostile incident.
Compared with 2016, the report found incidents of cutting off other vehicles is up 67%, while honking out of anger is up 47%. On the plus side, tailgating is down 24% and yelling at other drivers is down 17%.
