Police, Texas Department of Insurance warn against provoking others on the road
NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) – Abby Garcia knows what it's like to be a victim of road rage.
"It just happens so quickly," she said.
She said recently someone followed her off the road, thinking she cut them off.
"He followed me a good part of my drive to where I was just driving around, trying to figure out where to go," she said.
Garcia says eventually they went their separate ways, but since then, she's seen and heard about several other incidents.
Arlington police are currently searching for the person who shot two people off Highway 360 on Monday.
Grapevine police recently arrested 30-year-old Brandon Rutt, alleging he shot a woman through the neck during rush hour on Highway 121.
"Having road rage where someone is actually shot is more rare, especially for Grapevine, but we are seeing an increase in complaints from people about aggressive drivers, people cutting other cars off," Grapevine police spokesperson Amanda McNew said.
"Every morning from 6 o'clock in the morning to in the evenings I see where people are blowing, they're cutting in front of people going around cutting people off.. so I see it several times a day unfortunately," Dallas resident Baleria Dawson said.
According to TxDOT data, from 2012-2022 there were more than 3,500 crashes in the DFW area with road rage listed as the contributing factor. They resulted in more than 1,200 injuries and 22 fatalities.
"You don't know who the other drivers are," McNew said. "Be as patient as you can. Even if they're in the wrong, sometimes you have to let things go."
The Texas Department of Insurance says you should try and avoid actions that can provoke others.
This includes:
- Letting drivers merge or pass
- Avoiding tailgating
- Using your horn responsibly