What You Should Do When Road Rage Leads To A New Haven Auto Accident
October 3, 2024If you’ve ever been driving down the road and minding your own business only to be cut off by another car who you can see is yelling at you and speeding ahead, you have experienced road rage. Road rage can be a scary thing when you experience it, especially if it comes up unexpectedly and you’re not anticipating it. People who have experienced road rage are more likely to be involved in a New Haven auto accident and when that happens, if you’re the victim of the road rage you will want to make sure you take every step you can to insure you are safe and free from any further fallout from the experience.
First, it’s important to understand what can cause road rage. The truth of the matter is that road rage is likely the end of the story, not the beginning of it. Most people do not get into their car expecting to get angry with someone for going too slowly or cutting them off. What does happen is that often people are already mad or stressed about something else in their lives and they are taking it out on strangers for a perceived slight when sharing the road with them. While this is not always the case, it is often true and if you have that understanding you may be able to deal with the interaction in a better way. This doesn’t excuse the behavior, but understanding where it may be coming from and the fact that it is likely not truly directed at you can be something that is important to know.
It is also not uncommon that road rage is a passing thing that really will not impact your life or your well-being any further then just irritating you. If someone is passing you on the road and they happen to yell something in your direction, it may get your blood boiling a little bit, but it will likely not impact your day to day life. Understanding this fact can make dealing with these types of outbursts a little easier. Taking time to stew over an interaction with someone gives that interaction more power then it deserves and will leave you with more stress then you need.
The difficulty really lies in a situation that arises when road rage causes other incidents like an accident along the road. Let’s say you’ve passed a vehicle where the person is yelling out their window at you and then they take their road rage to another level and start to tailgate you on the road. You are stressed and worried about their aggressive driving so you start to slow down, but they don’t and they rear end your vehicle. This is when road rage turns into something even more serious and dangerous and should be approached with caution. When a situation turns from verbal road rage to a physical accident, you will want to take the following steps.
1.) Prioritize your safety. First, you will want to make sure everyone who has been involved in the accident is safe and free from injury. Ask everyone in your vehicle to check themselves for injuries and to let you know if they are experiencing any pain. Next, your safety goes further than when road rage is involved. You do not want to interact with the person who was raging in your direction and caused the accident. You will want to lock the doors in your vehicle and stay in the vehicle until assistance can arrive. Even if the person approaches your vehicle you will want to polite address their concerns and let them know that you are waiting for assistance.
2.) Call 911. When an accident occurs and part of the incident involves road rage you will want to make sure your second step is to involve the authorities. If you’re able to you should immediately call 911 and get help to come to the scene before you interact any further. This may put you in an uncomfortable situation, but you should keep the doors locked in your car and wait to open them until a law enforcement officer arrives. If you call 911 immediately after the accident occurs you shouldn’t have to wait long and it will be worth the peace of mind that you will get from being protected in more ways then one by the presence of the police.
3.) Do your best to deescalate the situation. Involving law enforcement may enrage the other driver further, so you need to be prepared for that and do your best to deescalate the situation. Do not raise your voice or start accusing the other driver of any actions, let all of these things play out with the officer when she/he arrives at the scene. You will want to do your best to make sure you are remaining calm and not making the situation worse with your actions.
Remember when you are involved in a New Haven auto accident that is the result of road rage your priority should be your own personal safety and the safety of those who are riding with you in your car as passengers. This type of accident is not your typical type of accident and following the steps outlined above will go a long way in making sure that the incident doesn’t cause you any more damage outside of any injuries you might have experienced in the actually accident itself and any property damage that might have occurred as well. If you are able to stay calm and deescalate the situation it will go a long way in keeping it from getting worse then what you have already experienced.
After you are safe and you have assessed the situation you may need to speak with an attorney to review your situation. Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will review your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.