Mad driving? Road Rage on The Increase in Washington State

Road rage. You've heard of it. Maybe you've been involved in an incident on the road. Authorities say they've seen an uptick over the last three years because of the COVID-19 pandemic and now because of the cost of gas and high inflation.

A MAJORITY OF INCIDENTS NEVER GET REPORTED TO POLICE

Road rage is defined as "an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of one motor vehicle on the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle caused by an incident that occurred on a roadway."
Authorities know a majority of road rage incidents never get reported to police.

ROAD RAGE WAS A FACTOR IN STARTING EMPHASIS PATROLS

Yakima Police Capt. Jay Seely says one of the reasons they started the ongoing traffic emphasis patrols was to prevent road rage.  He says many drivers are driving distracted and that also can trigger other drivers.
Authorities say a lot of different things can lead to road rage including stress, traffic, tight schedules and frustration with other drivers.
All that leads to bad driving like tailgating, belligerent movements, and acts of violence, including assault and murder.

HOW DO YOU AVOID ROAD RAGE?

Police say the best way to avoid road rage is to be polite, slow down, get away from aggressive drivers, don't make rude gestures or yell at other drivers and call 9-1-1 if  you're under attack.

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