Road Rage
Road rage in New Jersey is a problem. This state is known for
aggressive drivers, and cases of road rage only increase with drivers
who commute to New York City or Philadelphia every week. Because of New
Jersey’s road rage problem, police across the state have special
officers that are specifically looking for aggressive drivers. As a New
Jersey driver, it is important to learn about road rage so that you can
avoid it and stay safe.
What is Road Rage
Road rage is defined as violence and aggression while driving. Your
anger is placed on other drivers, sometimes causing the person showing
signs of road rage to do dangerous or irrational things while driving.
These include taking actions like the following:
- Tailgating
- Purposely slowing to block a car behind you
- Rude gestures
- Shouting
- Honking the horn
- Using your high beams inappropriately
Sometimes, New Jersey road rage also occurs when two drivers step out
of their vehicles. If you got into a minor accident with someone, you’d
be considered to have road rage if you threatened that person, raised
your voice, or became physically violent with the person or his/her
property.
Incidents Increasing
In New Jersey, like in almost all states, incidents of road rage are
only on the rise. Studies show that road rage is a more common problem
when drivers are in high-stress, congested driving situations. This
occurs frequently around New Jersey’s capital, as well as with
commuters going to or coming from work in New York City or
Philadelphia. In this state, there are even some officers who are
specifically looking for aggressive drivers.
How to Avoid Confrontation
Putting an end to New Jersey road rage is all about avoiding
confrontation in the first place. You can’t control other drivers, but
you can control how you react. Use the following tips to avoid road
rage confrontation:
- If you have to pull over because of an accident, remain in your vehicle until the police show up if the other person seems violently upset with you.
- Drive in the right-hand lane unless you’re passing someone, which will allow faster-moving cars to pass you.
- Remain a safe distance from all other vehicles on the road.
- Avoid the urge to retaliate a rude gesture with your own rude gesture, which will only cause the situation to escalate.
- If you feel like a driver near you is driving unsafely, pull to the side of the road or find an alternative destination to your route.
Cooler Heads Prevail
A cooler head will always prevail in a road rage situation.
Remember, New Jersey road rage often causes people to act
irresponsibly, leading to accidents or mechanical problems. If you are
caught exhibiting signs of road rage, you’ll be pulled over and given a
ticket for aggressive driving, which comes attached with high fines and
points on your license. By staying calm in a road rage situation, you
can avoid paying these prices.
How it Starts and Ends
Stopping road rage begins with knowing how it starts and working to
end it. With a driver, road rage usually occurs because one of the
following things happens:
- The driver is late and the traffic is moving slowly
- Another driver violates a traffic law
- Another driver almost causes an accident
Again, you can’t control other drivers on the road, but you can control
yourself. Leave you house early to avoid being late, be a safe driver
to avoid accidents and violations, and always ignore road rage you see
in other drivers.
Reporting Road Rage
If you see an incident occur, you can report road rage in an effort
to make New Jersey’s roads safer. If you see violence on the road,
always call the police – either pull over to use your cell phone or
have a passenger make the call. It helps if you can report the license
plate number, as well as make and model of the car.
Ever if the police can’t do anything, you can file a New Jersey road
rage report online at a number of websites. Make sure you have the
correct license plate number, and then head to RoadRagers.com or any
one of the other numerous sites to list the violation. Reporting road
rage can’t always help the situation after the fact, but by publicly
announcing the incident, you are reaching out to the driver and
encouraging safe driving in the future.
