Road rage incidents see more than 41% increase in first part of 2022
Incidents of road rage in Los Angeles County have seen a noted increase in the first part of the 2022, as a new study details how documented reports are up more than 41% from the same time period the year prior.
A recent study compiled by Crosstown, shows that from January 1 to April 30, there were 280 documented instances of road rage, according to public data made available by Los Angeles Police Department.
This was a very noticeable jump from the 198 reported cases in the same period in 2021, and 213 reported in 2019 before the pandemic caused a dip in 2020, with just 176 instances.
Of those 280 cases, 79 were reported in March alone, the second-highest monthly total ever after 80 were reported in May 2021.
According to the University of Southern California's James Moore, the director of their Transportation Engineering Program, a large part of these numbers can be attributed to economic issues and other problems stemming from the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
"Drivers are responding adversely to the elevated stress we are all feeling," said Moore. "People who are frightened, frustrated and feeling less accountable may behave less well."
Road rage incidents are not just angry exchanges between cars, and according to LAPD's definition they are actually when a person commits an assault on another person or vehicle due to an occurrence while driving with "willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others."
Another concerning issue with the increase in road rage is the use of firearms in these incidents. Since 2021, LAPD has recorded 200 separate occasions in which a firearm was used, second-most in that time span to use of bodily force. In 88 separate instances, a vehicle was used as a weapon.
The study detailed that since the beginning of 2021, the largest amount reports came from Downtown Los Angeles (72), followed by Venice (36) and Koreatown (32). Men were also predominantly included in road rage incidents, with 197 cases relating to a male subject, while 77 were in regards to a female.
