What is road rage? Here’s how often it happens in WA and what you can do to avoid it

Jared Gendron
·4 min read
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Most people have heard of road rage, when a driver’s anger spills over to the point that they engage in a physical or verbal altercation with another driver. In fact, the News Tribune reported just on Tuesday of an incident that involved brake-checking ultimately led to a street fight between four people and involved a knife and baseball bat.

The rate of confrontations on the road is higher in Washington compared to most other states, according to a 2022 analysis from Forbes. Washington state ranked ninth-worst state for road rage, behind Utah in first place, followed by Missouri, Colorado and Oklahoma. Nationwide, around 85% of drivers said they have experienced some form of road rage, and one in five people have seen an accident take place because someone lost their temper behind the wheel.

Confrontations on the road can be frightening, and it can be difficult to know what to do if confronted. Here is what you need to know about road rage, including what causes it and how to keep yourself safe.

What is road rage?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration describes behaviors linked to road rage and aggressive driving.

The NHTSA defines aggressive driving as “the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property.” Aggressive driving exists on a continuum and includes acts like following someone too closely, driving at extreme speeds, weaving through traffic and running stop lights and signs.

“Road rage” is any sort of act or behavior that exists on the extreme end of the spectrum. The Washington State Patrol defines the phenomenon as “an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle caused by an incident that occurred on a roadway.”

Another distinction is that aggressive driving is a traffic violation and road rage is that the former . Road rage is a criminal offense. Incidents of aggressive driving and road rage began to rise in the early 1990s.

What causes road rage?

The NHTSA identifies a few prominent factors behind why people drive aggressively. They include:

  • Traffic delays caused by highway maintenance, a collision or high traffic volume

  • Running late

  • Anonymity from the outside world while behind the wheel

  • Disregard for others or the law

  • Aggressive driving is just normal behavior to some people

Other factors include stress and overall frustration, according to the Washington State Department of Licensing. The department outlines some other common symptoms associated with road rage:

  • Having thoughts of violence toward others

  • Verbally condemning another driver’s action to someone else in your vehicle

  • Not obeying traffic safety rules because you don’t agree with them

A person with symptoms of aggressive driving or road rage may engage in risky behavior like speeding, honking excessively, tailgating another person, brake-checking, flashing headlights excessively and not yielding the right of way. Any of these actions has the potential to endanger the safety of another driver and escalate to a confrontation.

Staying safe on the road

Everybody can feel a little stressed or frustrated while on the road. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep our emotions in check and commit to practicing healthy driving etiquette to keep ourselves and others safe. Sources like the Tacoma-based firm Evergreen Personal Injury Counsel, the Washington State Department of Licensing, the Washington State Patrol and insurance company Geico offer additional tips to avoid aggressive driving and stay safe on the road:

  • Avoid rushing to your destination

  • Listen to relaxing music or take time to cool off

  • Don’t be harsh on other drivers

  • Be thoughtful when gesturing to others

  • Keep a safe distance from other vehicles

  • Signal when turning or changing lanes

  • Don’t honk out of frustration

  • Never stop to confront another driver

If someone else is exhibiting aggressive driving behavior, keep these tips in mind:

  • Safely change lanes or exit the highway

  • Avoid eye contact or responding to them

  • Head to the nearest police station

If happen to see or experience a road rage incident, the WSP recommends calling 9-1-1 and providing as many of details as possible to the operator:

  • The location you last saw the vehicle

  • Plate number

  • Direction the car was traveling

  • Road or highway

  • Vehicle color

  • If weapons were involved

  • What transpired

  • If you were a victim or a witness