Gun Violence in America
Road Rage
Mixed media collage • 20 × 7 × 21.5 in
Facts
The Trace, a newsroom that investigates gun violence in America, found that road rage incidents increased sharply between 2014 and 2023.
- Analysis of the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive's data shows that road rage incidents increased dramatically from just under 100 a year to nearly 500 between 2014 and 2023—an increase of more than 400 percent. During that decade, angry drivers shot 3,095 people, nearly one every day. One in four of those people (777) were killed. —The Trace
- Research conducted by Everytown for Gun Safety shows that 483 people were shot in the United States in road rage incidents in 2023; 118 victims were killed and 365 were injured. This translates into a road rage victim every 18 hours on average. —Everytown for Gun Safety
- Everytown for Gun Safety also reports that road rage incidents are nearly three times as common in states that do not require permits to carry firearms as in states that do. —Everytown for Gun Safety
- Official crime data rarely categorizes road rage separately; most violence is recorded under broader assault or homicide classifications. This means the number of road rage incidents involving guns may be higher than reported. - Pew Research Center
Possible Solutions Underway
A number of efforts are underway to address road rage, including:
- Driver education campaigns, including programs from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
- Stricter enforcement of aggressive-driving laws. - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- Harsher penalties for serious road rage incidents. Some states classify severe road rage involving assaults with vehicles or firearms as criminal offenses. - Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA)
- Dashcams and in-car monitoring.
- Hotlines and reporting systems that allow motorists to report aggressive driving.
- Refrain from making angry gestures toward other drivers, which can escalate a confrontation.
- Manage your own anger while driving.