For LI, road rage is a special scourge

Getting cut off, tailgated or otherwise menaced in traffic can trigger anger behind the wheel in even the mildest of motorists. It happens instantly and often. Drivers in these situations know that a disastrous collision could have followed if they hadn't been alert.

How to respond? Follow the aggressor? Tailgate them? Pull up alongside? Flip them off? Use your own vehicle to threaten them?

"None of the above" is the answer — as unsatisfying as that may be for the moment in which you see red. Such clashes can descend into unintended and dangerous violence. The combatant you pursue may be armed, drugged, or deranged. And it won't teach them a lesson.

Across Long Island, "road rage" keeps raging. Criminal charges were filed recently against a Babylon man who allegedly rammed another man’s vehicle three times before running over the victim and leaving. Police, who declared it a "road rage" incident, said it all began with an altercation outside a pizzeria. 

Officials report a sharp rise in incidents. Between 2020 and 2023, crashes involving either road rage or aggressive driving across Long Island increased 15% from 295 to 340, according to the Albany-based Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research. Nassau County police reported 57 cases in 2020 compared with 177 cases in 2023 and at least 169 for this year as of October.

Generally, congestion has increased since the pandemic and people find themselves under all kinds of stress. Possible root causes aside, experts quoted by Newsday say those triggered by other motorists should keep quiet, avoid eye contact, and go on their way. The best thing to do: Take a deep breath and think first of your own safety. Stay in peaceful control of your vehicle. More advice: Stay in your car. Drive away from an encounter but call 911 or go to the nearest police station if you feel threatened.

Remember: Inconsiderate and even criminal road behavior takes several forms these days. Dangerous drivers — two or three or more at a time — weave in and out of traffic at high speed for thrills. Police still haven’t met the patrol challenge for this crime with appropriate technology. Lawmakers still need to find a way to respond.

And beware of another way in which you may become enraged. Sometimes crooks purposely cause an accident as a scam to collect insurance payouts. In short, the sneaky setup may call for more than one car to be used so the offending driver can escape the scene. (A dashcam may be useful against such mayhem.)

Thinking first of your safety is also essential for streets, subways and public places. Don’t provoke others — and don’t take the bait.

When on the roads, leave extra time to reach your destination; it will make you less frustrated in traffic. And bear in mind that the automobile was not built to be weaponized and should not be used that way.