According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, 66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving. Over one-third (37%) of aggressive driving incidents involve a firearm, according to research for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Research also indicates that aggressive or risky drivers are more likely than safer drivers to: be young and male, have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, have received driving citations (for moving and non-moving violations), score higher on measures of aggression and psychiatric morbidity, use illicit drugs, drive more miles per day, drive in denser traffic more often, abuse alcohol, have higher levels of stress, and be more likely to attribute blame to other drivers.
They are also more likely to carry firearms in their car.
Of course, not all gun owners are alike, just as not all drivers are. But if the gun owners who drive with a gun are more likely to drive aggressively than those without a gun in the car (gun owners or not), the risk rises not only that a road rage incident will occur, but that it will become lethal. Many studies have found that where there are more guns, there are more deaths -- not fewer.
I think for many of us this falls into the "no shit Sherlock" category.
However I found this next part a little surprising.
Ample research also documents that the mere presence of a weapon can intensify aggression.
One study compared responses to a pickup driver stalled at a light for 12 seconds. When the truck sported a military rifle in the rear window, other drivers honked more quickly and more often at the driver than they did if no firearm was visible. This so-called weapons effect counters the "polite society" argument, showing that weapons provoke visceral responses that increase aggression.
That seems a little counter intuitive. One would think that the presence of a weapon clearly on display might make people a little hesitant to anger the driver. But instead it seems that merely seeing a gun makes even unarmed drivers respond more aggressively.
One of the pieces of advice that I give to young people that I work with that are just starting out as drivers is to always be a polite driver and to not overreact to poor drivers they may come across on the road.
I sometimes add that since this is Alaska it is quite reasonable to assume that the driver of the car that just cut you off in traffic is packing heat and will shoot you during an angry confrontation.
Now I am wondering if that might not have made some of these youngsters even more likely to pull up to them at a stoplight and flip them the bird.
Road rage is an immature response.
ReplyDeletePeriod.
I ignore children of all ages having a temper tantrum.
Wet sidewalks cause rain.
ReplyDeleteZombies increase firearm sales.
DeleteUm, who wrote this report? Captain Obvious?
ReplyDeleteCNN..ha. Where's the fake background and alien space ships?
ReplyDeleteAfraid to publish how many of these had concealed licenses? Fact. Less than a half per cent of Texas concealed carriers use a firearm in a crime. That beats the police, which gun grabbers want to be the only armed carriers.
"Less than a half per cent of Texas concealed carriers use a firearm in a crime."
DeleteThat's because most of the crimes are committed by the open carriers.
Fact. Most legal carriers intent on committing crimes accidentally blow their own heads off beforehand.
Currently there are no licensed open carry of handguns by the average gun owner. Also, negligent discharge is extremely rare. With over 3 million guns in the USA negligent discharges are almost nil. Accidental discharge is near zero. I laugh when I hear ignorant reporters say "the gun went off". No it didn't. Some negligent person pulled the trigger.
Deletelol
DeleteAll those responsible open carry owners are criminals?
And all the owners taking their automatic rifles to Starbucks are doing a fine job of conceal carrying.
This is too easy....
DeleteThirteen states require a special permit or license to open carry. The remaining 31 states don’t require one. The laws are different for long guns, which are commonly associated with hunting.
There is a great deal of misinformation out there, even among gun owners. Are you aware that in the majority of states (30) any law-abiding citizen can open carry without any government permission being required? Did you know that only six states have any sort of gun registration? Did you know that in all but eight states machine-gun ownership is possible?
According to Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action,”The National Rifle Association strongly supports conceal carry and open carry, and we will continue to lead the charge to protect and expand the right to self defense for law abiding Americans throughout the country.”
"negligent discharge is extremely rare"
lol
Since the beginning of the U.S. operation in Iraq, more than 90 U.S. military personnel have been killed there by negligent weapons discharges.
I generally operate just the opposite of the study, as you commented, Gryph, in that any sign of a weapon or bumper stickers that suggest the driver is interested in arms, I'll stay away from. I'm tempted sometimes to get out of my car when we're at a stoplight and introduce the lost art of using turn signals, but I wouldn't do it if the driver was armed or looked like he/she might be. To be honest, I've never actually done it, but the times I'm most tempted is when the driver is a likely gun nut. My survival instinct is strong.
ReplyDelete