Maryland road rage: Why it’s more than driving aggressively

You’d think aggressive driving and road rage might be synonymous, but they’re not. In fact, there is a very important distinction that makes a difference when it comes to any legal action.

Aggressive driving may break the law

Speeding, frequent lane changes, tailgating — these are all common signs of aggressive drivers. In some cases, aggressive driving consists of legal but unsafe actions on the road. Other times, a person is charged with aggressive driving after running a stop light or performing some other illegal maneuver simply because they were in such a hurry to reach their destination.

Most chargeable cases of aggressive driving are due to violation of a traffic law. Whether driving legally or not, an aggressive driver is often a dangerous companion on the road and can easily cause a serious southern Maryland accident.

Maryland road rage ups the ante on aggressive driving

Whereas aggressive driving focuses mostly on the driving actions of the person, road rage refers more to the emotional response of the driver. More importantly, road rage is in fact a criminal offense.

Road rage is typically an emotional escalation of aggressive driving and consists of actions such as yelling, making rude hand gestures, etc. in addition to the dangerous driving actions. These situations can quickly escalate out of control and leave someone hurt.

If you or a family member has been injured in a Maryland auto accident where either aggressive driving or road rage was the culprit, you have every right to sue for compensation. Call an experienced southern Maryland accident lawyer at 1-800-875-9700 to learn more about your rights as an accident victim.