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Safety & Compliance
> Safety Meeting Topics
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"Road
Rage"
In recent years, we have seen an increase in incidents
of aggressive driving that result in physical attacks
on one or more drivers. It has become so frequent, the
practice of aggressive driving has triggered its own
term, "Road Rage".
Several years ago on highway 26, west of Portland, two
males driving pickup trucks got into an argument and
exchanged gestures. One of the motorists shot the other
one to death. The shooter has never been found.
In late 1997 a truck driver traveling through Portland
became angry at two teenagers who had apparently cut
him off in traffic. He had a gun, and shot and wounded
both of them. The truck driver was arrested and convicted.
Tonya Harding, Oregon's celebrated ice skater, became
involved in an intersection argument and she and the
other left their cars, one brandishing a baseball bat.
A truck driver for a local Portland company became angry
at two people who cut him off and made an obscene gesture.
When traffic was forced to stop, he left his truck and
engaged in a fist fight with the two. Considerable blood
was exchanged, which could also place any of the combatants
at risk of HIV.
In Washington, two motorists got in to an argument about
an obscene gesture and one pinned the other between
the two cars, crushing his legs.
It is critical that Professional Truck Drivers (any
driver, for that matter) remain focused on the job at
hand, that of safely operating a large, heavy vehicle
on the highway. It is said that truck drivers make over
100 decisions per minute that affect the control of
the vehicle. With that much going on, there is no time
to be gesturing, glaring at, or chasing drivers who
have offended you. You must let it go, if someone does
something stupid in the vicinity of your vehicle.
Actions that may cause "Road Rage":
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Tailgating
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Flashing headlights
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Honking horns
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Improper lane changes
- Driving
too slowly and blocking a lane
- Excessive
speed
Strategies to prevent "Road Rage":
- Be
polite, even if the other driver is not
- Avoid
discourteous traffic actions, such as tailgating
- Assume
the other driver's actions are not personal
- Practice
"A-B-C"
- Avoid
eye contact
- Be
courteous
- Call
authorities, if necessary
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Safety & Compliance