Road rage and aggressive driving are two different things, according to a 2024 Bankrate study. What's the difference? The latter is deliberate, unsafe driving behavior that poses a risk to people and property while the former is angry driving that poses an immediate and significant risk. Here's a closer look.

Aggressive driving includes...

• Tailgating;
• Speeding in heavy traffic;
• Cutting off another driver;
• Running red lights;
• Weaving in and out traffic; and
• Frequently changing lanes.

Bankrate said that more than 17% of drivers regularly engage in aggressive driving behaviors such as speeding, running red lights, switching lanes quickly and driving dangerously closely behind other vehicles.

Road rage includes...

• Rude or inflammatory gestures;
• Profanity;
• Hitting, bumping, sideswiping or ramming another vehicle;
• Use of headlights or brakes to intimidate or harass other drivers; and
• Forcing another car off the road.

Road rage shootings in the U.S. ballooned 449% between 2014 and 2023, according to the Bankrate report, with a total of 3,095 people being shot over the period. The data also showed 481 people were shot last year due to road rage, down from 543 in 2022. Cities like Houston, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Chicago and Memphis saw the most road rage shootings in the past decade.

Other key insights

• Drivers aged 19 to 24 are most likely to engage in aggressive driving or road rage;
• Men makeup 59% of dangerous drivers;
• Unmarried, divorced, widowed or separated drivers are at a higher risk than married drivers; and
• Most road rage events happen in July between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The slideshow above illustrates the top five dangerous states for road rage confrontations, as selected by PowerNation TV.  See also:

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