Road Rage Accidents Tampa Bay
It is not a big secret that Tampa has some of the worst traffic in the United States. Highways such as I-275, I- 4 and I-75 are all very frustrating and at various times during the day. One of the consequences of having infrastructure that has not kept up with population growth is the increased incidence of road rage. Most road rage incidents occur during rush-hour traffic. That is between 4 and 7 P.M.
Tampa has had our fair share of road rage accidents and some have even turned fatal. Drivers who have “cut off” another driver have been chased down and shot. Others have been run off the road and even rammed with another vehicle. The Florida Department of Transportation has investigated over 900 road – rage car wrecks over the last few years. Aggressive driving has been a consistent factor in many of the crashes that have been investigated.
Unfortunately, a road rage chase can involve more than the two vehicles involved and frequently third-party vehicles are the victims of the aggressive driving in a road rage incident. Approximately 40% of road rage incidents result in some kind of criminal charge against at least one of the drivers. It is often that an innocent victim pays the price of the road rage of another.
If you see aggressive driving by another or a road – rage incident contact the Florida Highway Patrol (*357 on your cell phone) and report the matter.
In some cases, if a road rage incident results in a serious injury or a fatality, exemplary or punitive damages may be appropriate in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Although there may be an issue on whether or not the car insurance policy will cover the accident if an intentional act is alleged.
Drive Friendly.