NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Road rage shootings, like the one last week in Newport News that left a woman dead, are happening more frequently in America.
Already this year, the Gun Violence Archive shows that 96 people have been shot and killed in road rage incidents.
Another 262 people were shot but survived, according to the preliminary numbers.
Those numbers show the problem really began to take off around the same time as the pandemic.
Twice as many people have been killed in road rage shootings so far this year, compared to this time in 2018.
The nation’s latest case of deadly road rage happened in Newport News, where a roadway confrontation ended in tragedy on August 26 in a grocery store parking lot.
Court documents show the suspect “retrieved his firearm from his black bag that was in his glove compartment,” and then used it to shoot and killed a fellow driver. Police charged the gunman with second-degree murder.
In Tennessee, road rage is blamed for a recent confrontation caught on camera.
"You ever cut me off again, I'll beat the f--- out of you," the man is heard telling a fellow driver.
The now-viral video shows the driver leaving after a minute-and-a-half of verbal threats. Local outlets report police were looking into the incident and trying to identify the man.
In Virginia, state police say they are seeing a rise in aggressive driving.
The AAA Foundation found about 4 out 5 drivers experienced ‘significant anger, aggression or road rage’ in the past month alone.
AAA offers these tips to help prevent aggressive driving:
- Don't offend another driver by making them change their speed or direction.
- Be tolerant and forgiving, and assume it's not personal.
- Do not respond. Avoid eye contact, don't make gestures, maintain space and call 911 if needed.