How Often is Road Rage a Factor in Houston Accidents?

Over the last five years, hundreds of people have been killed in auto accidents caused by angry motorists in Texas. According to a study by the Department Of Transportation, more than 900 motor vehicle accidents over the past five years were linked to enraged drivers. Those accidents ranged from minor fender benders that did not result in major damage, to fatal accidents.
According to Texas Department of Transportation data, road rage-related accidents seem to happen most frequently during the evening rush hour. Approximately one out of every four road rage-related car accidents occurred between 4 PM and 7 PM.

The majority of these accidents involved male drivers, and pickup trucks were the most common vehicles involved in road rage-related accidents.

In many cases, these wrecks did not end in major damage, injuries, or fatalities. However, in 2010, a motorist who had honked at a pickup truck for cutting him off, became the victim of a shooting. The other motorist in that accident was charged with murder.

According to Harris County authorities, as many as three or four calls are received daily reporting incidents involving road rage. However, very often, these calls come too late. By the time officers respond to the scene, a driver may already have pulled over and begun fighting or verbally abusing the other, or may have run the other driver off the road.