A new study has revealed a disturbing trend in the Hoosier state: Indiana ranks third worst in the nation for road rage incidents leading to fatal crashes. This alarming statistic, exposed by the Simmrin Law Group’s analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, paints a picture of a state grappling with an aggressive driving epidemic.
Between 2017 and 2021, 7.34% of all fatal crashes in Indiana involved drivers experiencing road rage. This translates to a staggering 486 instances where anger and aggression behind the wheel tragically ended lives. In 2021 alone, there were 126 such incidents, double the 51 recorded in 2017.
The Indiana State Police (ISP) defines aggressive drivers as “those who operate a motor vehicle in a manner which endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property.” Additionally, ISP said that aggressive drivers engage in acts such as “disobeying stop signs and traffic signals, weaving in-and-out of traffic, making unsafe lane changes and committing other dangerous driving violations that show little regard for the safety of others.”
However, road rage is not just a numbers game; it can lead to human tragedy. Losses can affect families, and communities can be impacted by the ripple effects of road rage.
“INDOT takes great pride in planning, building, and maintaining safe and innovative transportation infrastructure for Indiana residents, as well as visitors to the Crossroads of America,” Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Strategic Communications Director Natalie Garrett said in a statement. “Safety is always top of mind, with the main goal for drivers to reach their destinations in a safe and timely manner.”
Indiana can benefit from exploring innovative solutions, such as utilizing telematics data – a combination of telecommunications and informatics – to identify and address aggressive driving patterns. An example of this are “safe driver” programs that allow insurance companies to actively hone in on a customer’s driving patterns, speed, sudden braking and collisions with a small electronic device attached to the customer’s vehicle.
“INDOT urges drivers to practice safe habits obeying all posted speed limits and signage, buckling up, avoiding distractions such as cell phones and mobile devices, never driving impaired and sharing the road with other users,” Garrett said in a statement.
The recent findings can help Hoosiers understand the root causes of road rage and the proactive solutions Indiana can implement to create safer roads and protect its citizens from the deadly consequences of unchecked anger behind the wheel.
This heightened level of Hoosier road rage is causing concern for local drivers who feel it is time to hit the brakes on road rage and build a safer future for all Hoosiers.
“Please, y’all, slow down,” longtime Hoosier Duane Simmons said. “It can cost someone their life.”
Contact multimedia staff writer Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846. Follow him on Twitter @3Noral. For more news courtesy of the Indianapolis Recorder, click here.
