Tips to Avoid Road Rage Incidents

Recent stories in the news have us concerned with the frequency of road rage the common occurrences of injuries and death as a result. If you live in the metro-Atlanta area, or travel through it frequently, you have most likely witnessed some form of road rage occurring on busy Georgia roads. Atlanta is known as one of the most busy and dangerous cities for driving, and much of these dangers stem from drivers making bad decisions after becoming overwhelmed and enraged behind the wheel.

Just last month, a road rage attack in New York City made national news when a group of motorcyclists surrounded a sports utility vehicle. The driver of the SUV, Alexian Lien, ran over a cyclist in an effort to get away from the group. The motorcyclist incurred serious injuries as a result of the crash. Others from the biker group followed the SUV and pulled the driver from the vehicle, and proceeded to beat him while his wife and young child looked on.

A recent story in the local Kennesaw news hits even closer to home for many of us. A 21-year-old student from Kennesaw State University lost her life last month after being involved in a road rage incident. After an altercation between two groups of females began on the road, a 22-year-old female shot and killed the KSU student early in the morning at the Shiloh Green Apartments near campus. Many mourn the young girl’s death, as it was extremely unexpected and uncalled for.

These disturbing events, as well as many other road rage incidents that occur each year, suggest a growing threat for Georgia drivers. For this reason, Jones & Swanson warns drivers to be wary of other drivers and to never instigate any type of argument or altercation with another driver, regardless of what they’ve done. You never know when that person will endanger your life and the lives of those around you.

Before you drive on metro-Atlanta roads, you should inspect your own driving behaviors and attempt to keep your temper while behind the wheel. Here are a few safety tips to attempt to reduce the number of road rage incidents in Georgia:

• Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep is oftentimes a reason that drivers partake in acts of road rage. Lack of sleep can make anyone irritable, so make sure to get plenty of rest before driving.
• Give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination and plan your route in advance. Attempting to make up time driving is never safe. When you’re in a hurry, you are more likely to lose your temper.
• Don’t drive to relieve stress. This only puts you further into harm’s way.
• Turn down aggressive music while driving. Certain types of violent music have been proven to cause changes in attitude.
• Hold your temper, even when someone else cuts you off or makes an illegal movement with their vehicle. Nothing is worth losing your life, so calm down and try to be the bigger person in the situation.
• Avoid involving yourself in aggressive driving, such as following another vehicle too closely, driving above the speed limit, cutting other vehicles off, cutting through lanes quickly and frequently, flashing your lights, or making gestures at other drivers.

The attorneys and staff at Jones & Swanson remind Georgians to use extra care while operating a vehicle. You never know when other drivers are ready to break. If you or someone you know have been injured or killed in a Georgia car crash that involved road rage, please contact our firm at (770) 427-5498 or www.awjlaw.com for information on what to do next.