Motorcycle vs. Car: Whiskey and Driving Don’t Mix

As Arizona motorcycle accident and car accident attorneys, we are always researching personal injury issues here in Arizona.  The video of a road rage incident on Saturday in Yuma is truly shocking:

The police report from this incident states that the driver of the car acknowledged taking several shots of whiskey and ranked himself as a “4 out of 10” of being drunk.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does not keep statistics on “aggressive driving” or “road rage,” but estimates that aggressive driving causes about a third of all crashes and about two-thirds of all car and motorcycle wrongful deaths:

• 66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving.
• 37% of aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm.
• Males under the age of 19 are the most likely to exhibit road rage.
• Half of drivers who are on the receiving end of an aggressive behavior, such as horn honking, a rude gesture, or tailgating admit to responding with aggressive behavior themselves.
• Over a seven year period, 218 murders and 12,610 injuries were attributed to road rage.

One scary statistic worth noting is:

• 2% of drivers admit to trying to run an aggressor off the road!

These stats are found at http://www.safemotorist.com/articles/road_rage.aspx

In ranking the United States’ biggest cities, the most aggressive, most road rage, “least courteous” cities are (leads to more personal injury attorneys being involved):

1. Houston
2. Atlanta
3. Baltimore

Phoenix has the country’s “sixth least courteous drivers.”  We can certainly improve on that to decrease the amount of personal injury lawsuits, wrongful deaths, and motorcycle accidents in Phoenix.  Phoenix drivers are: 1.  Most likely to acknowledge speeding themselves; 2.  Most likely to have slammed on their brakes without warning; 3. Tied for 3rd most likely to have seen someone else tailgating.  This behavior certainly causes more personal injury lawyer lawsuits.  Again, we can do better.  Full stats can be found at https://www.autovantage.com/Road-Rage/Phoenix.html.

Least road rage or “most courteous” drivers (leads to less personal injury lawyers being involved):

1. Portland
2. Pittsburgh
3. St. Louis

Apparently, when you have an awesome baseball team or live in a state with legalized pot, you tend to be more courteous.

As always, be careful, mindful, and present to avoid personal injuries and personal injury lawyer involvement.  And, when you get that feeling of aggression or rage when somebody does something to frustrate you, remember: your car is not your therapist.  Just chill and drive safely.

Call Torgenson Law to Schedule a Free Consultation

Torgenson Law is an Arizona Personal Injury law firm.  We handle cases for injured people and their families, gaining full compensation and closure.  If you or someone you care about need someone to fight on your of their behalf,  let us know.  We appreciate the trust of our clients.  (602) 726-0747.