Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
A West Palm Beach car accident landed a 48-year-old driver behind bars for nearly 23 years. The judge determined that it was the man’s road rage than contributed to the death of a 30-year-old woman involved in the accident.
The man was found guilty of charges of reckless driving, leaving the scene of a fatal crash and vehicular homicide, according to News12.
According to accident reports, it all happened when the male driver became enraged after the female accidentally pulled in front of his car. The man drove back into the female’s lane and forced her into oncoming traffic where she ran head on into an oncoming car and was killed. Another motorist followed the man’s car, took down his license plate and reported him to authorities.
Our West Palm Beach car accident attorneys understand how prevalent aggressive driving and road rage are on our roadways. According to RoadRagers.com, there are a lot of drivers who get angry behind the wheel, a little more than you may think. This type of behavior can be found on some of our roads, too. Enraged drivers are common during the tourist season and the summer travel season. Roads get awfully crowded and congested and the backup doesn’t make many happy. That’s when it gets dangerous.
Of more than 11,000 people surveyed on RoadRagers.com, nearly 60 percent revealed road rage characteristics.
Statistically speaking, young men are more prone to displaying road rage characteristics behind the wheel. Exactly why this is has yet to be determined. Some say that it’s a predisposition to aggression, others say it could be the result of lack of experience and others say it could be as simple as the fact that young men tend to drive more than older drivers. Either way, male drivers under the age of 19 most commonly display road rage characteristics on our roadways.
Nearly 60 percent of men say that they experience road rage on a daily basis while less than 45 percent of women say this. More men also admitted to retaliating against others when they felt angry or provoked on our roadways.
What is road rage?
-Road rage is a display of aggression by a driver, most commonly including physical assault or other dangerous maneuvers, in which harm or injury is the desired result.
-According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), road rage “involves a criminal act of violence, whereas aggressive driving can range from tailgating to speeding to running red lights.”
-Across the country, up to 1,200 road rage-related deaths a year have been reported as a result of road rage. Experts believe that number is much higher.
-Although more than 60 percent of drivers say that they’ve been victimized by aggressive tailgaters, only 6 percent admitted to doing it themselves. Road rage is not widely recognized in drivers’ own habits.
If you or someone who is close to you has been involved in a car accident in Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere, contact the South Florida personal injury lawyers of Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC to set up a confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.
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May 18, 2012