Aggressive Driving and Road Rage

As drivers enter interstate highways and byways in San Antonio, many lose their patience, causing some to drive aggressively or outright dangerously. Whether caused by a maladjusted temperament or a false sense of control, aggressive drivers often overlook the immediate safety and well-being of themselves, their passengers, and the lives of those in vehicles on the lanes around them. Each year the lawyers at Carabin Shaw represent hundreds of individuals and families this type of conduct has severely injured or even killed.

For some aggressive drivers in San Antonio, it is only a matter of time before their emotions blind their shortsightedness, causing their behavior to escalate to the domestic assault crime known as road rage. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, more than 1,500 people are injured or killed each year in the United States as a result of aggressive driving and road rage. If you suspect aggression or road rage played a part in causing your accident, call our attorneys today.

From the perspective of Texas law enforcement agencies, road rage includes drivers who speed, accelerate in an aggressive fashion, tailgate, and cut off other drivers. It is common for aggressive drivers, especially those stuck in San Antonio rush hour traffic, to use their horn excessively, flash their lights unnecessarily, use rude verbal and physical gestures, and even form lane convoys that block access to other drivers they perceive as being offensive. As our lawyers have observed and used as evidence in court, these behaviors often continue to be present after an accident. It is reasonable to expect some anger after auto accidents, but persistent blame and angry accusations that prevent you from engaging in civil discourse, like the exchange of insurance information, is a sign of excess aggression or rage.

There is, however, an important distinction between aggressive driving and road rage that our attorneys can help you delineate. Aggressive driving is classified as a traffic offense, while road rage is a criminal offense. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), road rage is defined as "an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle or an assault precipitated by an incident that occurred on a roadway.” Our legal team, and specifically our specially designated San Antonio car accident lawyer, will assess your damages, the force of the impact, reports from other eyewitnesses, and decide which of these definitions will best suit your particular case.

Aggressive driving and road rage are behaviors that affect most drivers, either directly or indirectly. Some psychologists have suggested that certain drivers are more susceptible to losing their tempers behind the wheel than others. In fact, road rage can sometimes fall under the medical condition known as Intermittent Explosive Disorder, which affects millions of Americans on a continuous basis. Regardless of whether you are an aggressive driver or the unwitting victim of an aggressive driver, there are simple measures you can take to prevent these unfortunate San Antonio events from becoming catastrophic disasters.

The first, and in our opinion the most important, preventative measure you can take is to call the attorneys at Carabin Shaw to setup a free consultation. We will meet with you, review your driving history, discuss the details of any current accident-related circumstances, and map out a legal strategy similar to the ones we’ve been winning cases with for over 20 years.

No San Antonio resident should have to bear the burden of legal representation after sustaining injuries caused by road rage or aggressive driving. Let us help you get the compensation you deserve—call 800-862-1260 today.