SAN ANTONIO – The level of violence in road rage incidents has become more prevalent, said Lt. Jason Reyes of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
“When it comes to road rage incidents, they’ve only become more and more, how can I say? They’re taking it to another level, and they’re using obviously guns now and they’ve become more and more violent,” Reyes said. “I think one of the main triggers that we’re seeing is an individual honking horns. So use that sparingly.”
Reyes said courtesy goes a long way on the road and could help people avoid problems.
“Allow a driver to to to gain access. Let them pass, let them enter the the highway. That three or four seconds, it’s nothing. But again, it can avoid conflict,” he said.
If something happens, Reyes advises motorists to avoid making eye contact or making obscene gestures that could escalate the problem.
He said try to get information about a vehicle, like a license plate number, and head for the nearest exit where you can go to a populated area and call 911.
The number of reported road rage shooting deaths in the U.S. has doubled in the last four years and the deadly trend appears to show no signs of slowing down, according to a database of gun violence.
Everytown, an organization working to end gun violence, analyzed the Gun Violence Archive’s database and found that at least 70 road rage shooting deaths occurred in the United States in 2018. That number doubled to 141 in 2022.
“I don’t think road rage discriminates. Unfortunately, we’re seeing it happen in every demographic area,” Reyes said.