By ROMAN HILDEBRANDT
The car pulled in front of me nearly cutting me off. The driver was going 45 miles per hour in the fast lane. The guy didn’t use his blinker and almost hit my car.
These are situations that are becoming more and more common on Utah’s roads and highways. Motorists are driving faster and more aggressively to combat what they see as inconsideration by drivers, stupidity of other drivers and some drivers who are downright angry, according to the Western Insurance Information Service (WIIS).
An Orem police officer said, “We get reports of people getting in accidents or cutting each other off on the road all the time. It isn’t new or just once in a while.”
The WIIS, a non-profit consumer information service, said in a news release many accidents begin long before a driver pulls onto the road.
“That’s because many people get behind the wheel when they’re angry, sleepy, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, in ill health or otherwise distracted.”
The poor condition of the driver, either emotionally or physically, has a profound effect on his or her driving.
“An increasing number of drivers are succumbing to road rage or choosing to be an aggressive driver,” according to the WIIS news release.
Kurt Quackenbush, a junior from Payson, Utah majoring in advertising, has experienced the anger first hand from another driver.
According to Quackenbush, he was driving on the I-15 freeway just south of Provo when he was confronted by an irate driver. The car wanted to pass Quackenbush, who was traveling at a speed of nearly 75 miles per hour.
“Before I knew it, the driver had a gun and fake police badge and he was waving at me to pull over,” Quackenbush said. “I sped up and the car followed. Finally I lost him at a freeway exit but I was shaking for quite a while afterwards.”
The Orem police instruct drivers not to ever confront someone on the road. “It makes no difference how big and bad you are if the other guy has a gun,” said an officer.
“If the driver is doing something serious enough to press charges then get a description of the car and the license number and report it.”
The WIIS said the key to avoiding angry drivers or becoming angry yourself is to concentrate on what you are doing when you drive.
“Rather than combing your hair, dialing a phone or tuning a radio, keep your mind focused on the condition of other drivers, the road, traffic, the weather, your vehicle and lighting conditions,” according to the WIIS. Driving defensively rather than aggressively could save your life.
