Driving can be a stressful experience, and not everyone handles that stress appropriately. Some people become volatile and even dangerous when they feel like other drivers have inconvenienced them. Road rage involves people letting their feelings determine how they react to traffic conditions. Someone experiencing road rage may tailgate another person, scream out their window, make rude gestures or even follow another vehicle. Road rage can lead to violent physical confrontations and criminal charges.
It can also be the underlying cause of collisions, as aggressive drivers can make choices that lead to preventable wrecks. No one ever knows if the person they just passed in traffic might have a chip on their shoulder. How big of a safety concern is road rage in Kentucky when compared with other states?
Kentucky has relatively calm drivers
Road rage is a pressing issue in many parts of the country. Some states see regular homicides related to traffic incidents. Thankfully, Kentucky seems to have less aggressive drivers than many other states. Kentucky actually has a relatively low rate of aggressive driving and road rage. A review of all states ranked Kentucky as 40th in the country, meaning most other states see more aggression from motorists.
That relatively low ranking does not imply a lack of road rage
Approximately 17% of respondents from Kentucky indicated that another driver has exited a vehicle to start a fight or yell at them after an incident in traffic. Approximately 8% of Kentucky drivers admit to regularly experiencing road rage that compromises their conduct. The rate is lower than in many other states. That being said, almost one in 10 drivers admit to regularly losing their cool on the road. Those drivers could cause physical injury to others or serious motor vehicle collisions. People affected by road rage may have medical bills or vehicle repair costs to cover.
Pursuing an insurance claim or even a personal injury lawsuit in civil court could be a reasonable reaction to a road rage incident that leads to someone getting hurt, possibly because aggressive driving has caused a crash.