Study Reveals Rising Number Of Road Rage Incidents Involving Guns
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) — The number of road rage incidents involving guns is on the rise.
That's according to a new report by an independent nonprofit news organization that covers gun issues.
The report by The Trace found there were more than 1,300 gun-related road rage incidents nationwide between January 2014 and December 2016.
There were 146 incidents in Florida – the highest number in the country.
Florida State Senator and gun proponent Dennis Baxley says guns aren't to blame for the issue.
"This is a cultural problem that we have, and it's accelerated by the use of drugs in our culture. A gun is an inanimate object, it accelerates nothing," said Baxley. "It's only a weapon when someone decides to use it as a weapon."
The report also found more than 130 people nationwide were killed in road rage incidents involving firearms over the past two years, and about 360 have been wounded.
With road rage incidents increasing overall, states are passing laws to keep traffic moving. In Florida, drivers can only go 10 miles per hour under the speed limit while in the fast lane.
A 2016 AAA survey says nearly 80 percent of drivers admitted to at least one instance of aggressive driving within a year.
"The more congestion that we experience, the more people have to stop-and-go or sit in traffic jams, the more frustrated they get," said Kevin Bakewell, senior vice president & chief public affairs officer at AAA.