Atlanta, Georgia Personal Injury Lawyer
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sandy Springs Incident Illustrates Why Atlanta is 4th in the Nation for Road Rage
Monday, June 29, 2009
Atlanta 4th in the Nation for Road Rage
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Road rage causes wrongful death
Road rage was the culprit in a recent assault case in Sandy Springs. According to the victim, a female driver, a man driving a red sports car near Abernathy Road and Roswell Road on Monday afternoon became angry with her because she slowed her car in traffic. The man left his car, approached the woman’s window, and cursed at her. Then he punched her in the face.
After that, the man sped away, but not before the woman was able to note down his tag number. Police are currently investigating the incident and we’ll bring you more here on the MLN Law blog as the news breaks.
This incident was just one more example of why Atlanta was recently ranked 4th in the nation when it comes to road rage incidents. Interestingly enough, despite that ranking, Georgia does not have any specific road rage laws on the books. Instead, cases like the Monday incident in Sandy Springs are prosecuted criminally as assault and battery or, if someone is killed, vehicular manslaughter.
I’ve written about the signs of road rage before, but as back to school season kicks into full swing, it bears repeating. You are road raging (or the victim of another driver’s road rage) when someone is:
• Aggressive driving such as tailgating, following closely, and cutting into lanes of traffic
• Deliberately preventing someone from merging
• Sounding the vehicle’s horn or flashing its lights excessively
• Using rude gestures
• Shouting verbal abuse or threats
• Intentionally causing a wreck
• Exiting the car and attempting to start a confrontation (as occurred in the Sandy Springs incident)
• Striking someone else’s vehicle with an object
• Threatening to use or actually using a firearm or other deadly weapon
• Spitting
The latest numbers on road rage show about 1,200 incidents per year in the United States, with at least 300 per year leading to serious injury or even fatality.
What you might not know about road rage is that the American Psychological Association has classified it as a mental disorder called “intermittent explosive disorder.” While there is no excuse for road rage, if you or someone you know shows signs of intermittent explosive disorder, it is best to seek treatment before a blow up behind the wheel leads to an accident, an arrest or something much worse.
If you have found yourself the victim of road rage, do not panic. Simply continue to obey all traffic laws and, if possible, extract yourself from the situation by pulling up to the nearest police station and honking your horn loudly. Use good judgment when pulling over to the side of the road or anywhere else not associated with law enforcement. While most road ragers will go on their way once the incident has passed, others – like the perpetrator in the Sandy Springs incident – might exit their vehicles to continue the perceived “fight.” Don’t let yourself become a statistic.
After that, the man sped away, but not before the woman was able to note down his tag number. Police are currently investigating the incident and we’ll bring you more here on the MLN Law blog as the news breaks.
This incident was just one more example of why Atlanta was recently ranked 4th in the nation when it comes to road rage incidents. Interestingly enough, despite that ranking, Georgia does not have any specific road rage laws on the books. Instead, cases like the Monday incident in Sandy Springs are prosecuted criminally as assault and battery or, if someone is killed, vehicular manslaughter.
I’ve written about the signs of road rage before, but as back to school season kicks into full swing, it bears repeating. You are road raging (or the victim of another driver’s road rage) when someone is:
• Aggressive driving such as tailgating, following closely, and cutting into lanes of traffic
• Deliberately preventing someone from merging
• Sounding the vehicle’s horn or flashing its lights excessively
• Using rude gestures
• Shouting verbal abuse or threats
• Intentionally causing a wreck
• Exiting the car and attempting to start a confrontation (as occurred in the Sandy Springs incident)
• Striking someone else’s vehicle with an object
• Threatening to use or actually using a firearm or other deadly weapon
• Spitting
The latest numbers on road rage show about 1,200 incidents per year in the United States, with at least 300 per year leading to serious injury or even fatality.
What you might not know about road rage is that the American Psychological Association has classified it as a mental disorder called “intermittent explosive disorder.” While there is no excuse for road rage, if you or someone you know shows signs of intermittent explosive disorder, it is best to seek treatment before a blow up behind the wheel leads to an accident, an arrest or something much worse.
If you have found yourself the victim of road rage, do not panic. Simply continue to obey all traffic laws and, if possible, extract yourself from the situation by pulling up to the nearest police station and honking your horn loudly. Use good judgment when pulling over to the side of the road or anywhere else not associated with law enforcement. While most road ragers will go on their way once the incident has passed, others – like the perpetrator in the Sandy Springs incident – might exit their vehicles to continue the perceived “fight.” Don’t let yourself become a statistic.
With the holiday weekend coming up and many families taking driving vacations or simply staying near home on staycations, its worth giving a little extra thought to driver safety. Sadly, if you plan to stay in or near Atlanta this weekend you may have something more than fireworks shows to worry about, and that something is road rage.
Atlanta earned the dubious distinction of being one of the nation’s top five leading road rage cities in a survey conducted by AutoVantage, a national auto club. We found ourselves keeping company with three northern cities and one neighbor to the west on the following list:
1.) New York
2.) Dallas/Ft. Worth
3.) Detroit
4.) Atlanta
5.) Minneapolis/St. Paul
AutoVantage came up with these numbers after surveying drivers in 25 major metropolitan areas during the first three months of this year and compiling the ranked list based on reports of angry and aggressive drivers. For the purposes of the survey, angry drivers included drivers who overreact and lose their tempers while aggressive drivers included drivers who cut into lines, honk, speed and tailgate.
The survey also compiled some data we can all learn from, such as what causes road rage and which types of drivers are most likely to fall victim of a case of road rage.
The study concluded that the behaviors most likely to incite road rage include:
1.) Talking on a cell phone
2.) Texting or emailing
3.) Driving too fast
4.) Tailgating
5.) Eating or drinking while driving
6.) Cutting over without notice
7.) Slamming on the brakes
8.) Running red lights
9.) Multitasking (such as putting on makeup, shaving or reading)
Further, the people most likely to engage in road rage inducing behaviors are young people or people with long commutes. They admitted to the survey takers that they were more likely to talk on cell phones or drive too fast on a regular basis.
The study also identified some major causes of road rage, which included:
1.) Witnessing bad or careless driving from others
2.) Anger or frustration
3.) Running late or being in a hurry
4.) Experiencing traffic problems or road construction
5.) Witnessing drivers who “think they own the road”
Some tips for avoiding the urge to rage include allowing yourself plenty of time for your trip, listening to soothing music, and, of course, giving other drivers the benefit of the doubt and assuming that their mistakes are not directed at you. If you experience road rage from others, it’s key to remain calm and in control. Extreme reactions can just compound the chain of road rage and lead to more incidents or even an accident.
The best way to curb road rage is to begin with your own habits and be a careful, safe and courteous driver. If you are not yet following all the rules of courteous driving, why not start this 4th of July weekend?
Interested in more road rage statistics? Visit this website to see the full AutoVantage report and read more road rage statistics. (Warning, the link leads to a PDF that may open slowly on some machines.)
Atlanta earned the dubious distinction of being one of the nation’s top five leading road rage cities in a survey conducted by AutoVantage, a national auto club. We found ourselves keeping company with three northern cities and one neighbor to the west on the following list:
1.) New York
2.) Dallas/Ft. Worth
3.) Detroit
4.) Atlanta
5.) Minneapolis/St. Paul
AutoVantage came up with these numbers after surveying drivers in 25 major metropolitan areas during the first three months of this year and compiling the ranked list based on reports of angry and aggressive drivers. For the purposes of the survey, angry drivers included drivers who overreact and lose their tempers while aggressive drivers included drivers who cut into lines, honk, speed and tailgate.
The survey also compiled some data we can all learn from, such as what causes road rage and which types of drivers are most likely to fall victim of a case of road rage.
The study concluded that the behaviors most likely to incite road rage include:
1.) Talking on a cell phone
2.) Texting or emailing
3.) Driving too fast
4.) Tailgating
5.) Eating or drinking while driving
6.) Cutting over without notice
7.) Slamming on the brakes
8.) Running red lights
9.) Multitasking (such as putting on makeup, shaving or reading)
Further, the people most likely to engage in road rage inducing behaviors are young people or people with long commutes. They admitted to the survey takers that they were more likely to talk on cell phones or drive too fast on a regular basis.
The study also identified some major causes of road rage, which included:
1.) Witnessing bad or careless driving from others
2.) Anger or frustration
3.) Running late or being in a hurry
4.) Experiencing traffic problems or road construction
5.) Witnessing drivers who “think they own the road”
Some tips for avoiding the urge to rage include allowing yourself plenty of time for your trip, listening to soothing music, and, of course, giving other drivers the benefit of the doubt and assuming that their mistakes are not directed at you. If you experience road rage from others, it’s key to remain calm and in control. Extreme reactions can just compound the chain of road rage and lead to more incidents or even an accident.
The best way to curb road rage is to begin with your own habits and be a careful, safe and courteous driver. If you are not yet following all the rules of courteous driving, why not start this 4th of July weekend?
Interested in more road rage statistics? Visit this website to see the full AutoVantage report and read more road rage statistics. (Warning, the link leads to a PDF that may open slowly on some machines.)
Labels: atlanta, distracted drivers, driver safety, drivers, Georgia, road rage
Sad story of someone who needlessly died.
Road rage gets Fla. man 25 years after fatal accident
Associated Press
BRADENTON, Fla. -- A man whose road rage scared another driver into a crash that killed a teenager was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
A jury decided that Bruce Eric Payton, 49, was responsible for the crash that happened, witnesses said, after he chased and fired gunshots at a truck that cut him off on a highway on May 27, 2005.
When the truck ran through a red light, it crashed into a vehicle carrying Elizabeth Naomi Toribio, 14, who died. Her brother, sister and a family friend were critically hurt.
Payton was convicted and sentenced Thursday on charges of manslaughter, leaving the scene of a fatal accident and aggravated assault with a firearm. The driver of the truck was not charged.
Defense attorneys argued Payton brandished a cell phone, not a gun, as he chased the truck, and that he didn’t know a crash had occurred. The weapon was never found.
Before the sentencing, Payton, who said his mother had known the girl, apologized to her family.
”She was a sweet young lady,” he said. ”All I can say is I’m sorry. I’m very sorry.”
Some of the girl’s family previously said they were angered that prosecutors declined to charge the driver of the pest control truck, but her father said that’s no longer the case.
”This is the only time we’ve heard the facts,” Pedro Toribio Sr. told the Bradenton Herald. ”Now we know what really happened.”
Road rage gets Fla. man 25 years after fatal accident
Associated Press
BRADENTON, Fla. -- A man whose road rage scared another driver into a crash that killed a teenager was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
A jury decided that Bruce Eric Payton, 49, was responsible for the crash that happened, witnesses said, after he chased and fired gunshots at a truck that cut him off on a highway on May 27, 2005.
When the truck ran through a red light, it crashed into a vehicle carrying Elizabeth Naomi Toribio, 14, who died. Her brother, sister and a family friend were critically hurt.
Payton was convicted and sentenced Thursday on charges of manslaughter, leaving the scene of a fatal accident and aggravated assault with a firearm. The driver of the truck was not charged.
Defense attorneys argued Payton brandished a cell phone, not a gun, as he chased the truck, and that he didn’t know a crash had occurred. The weapon was never found.
Before the sentencing, Payton, who said his mother had known the girl, apologized to her family.
”She was a sweet young lady,” he said. ”All I can say is I’m sorry. I’m very sorry.”
Some of the girl’s family previously said they were angered that prosecutors declined to charge the driver of the pest control truck, but her father said that’s no longer the case.
”This is the only time we’ve heard the facts,” Pedro Toribio Sr. told the Bradenton Herald. ”Now we know what really happened.”
Labels: road rage, truck accident, wrongful death
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