Road rage driving incidents appear to be on the rise in Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. - Angry drivers are becoming more common on Florida roads and highways. In fact, it's something that's becoming a problem nationwide.
Doug Herbet, founder of B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) said this is becoming more of an issue in a post-pandemic environment.
"What we found is, you know, stress from being cooped up from COVID. There's also just a lot in general, everybody has money problems, traffic has gotten worse, all these different things that could be contributing to road rage, there's no easy answer to it."
Just last week in Brandon, a man and woman used a weapon to break a car's window, according to investigators. At one point, the woman even jumps on top of the car, they said.
Over the weekend, in Osceola County, three people including a 5-year-old were shot at while driving on the Florida Turnpike, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) said. Troopers said the shooter was driving erratically for miles.
Two days later, Tuesday night in Plant City, two people were shot while driving on Interstate 4. The female passenger died at the scene. Police say it was an incident of road rage. Also on Tuesday, in Altamonte Springs, a father was arrested in a road rage incident for waving a gun at another parent while picking up his child from school.
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- Road rage driver shot at pickup truck on Florida Turnpike in Osceola County, troopers say
- 'I would've shot him twice': Florida parent arrested for road rage incident near child's elementary school
According to Everytown for Gun Safety, the number of deadly road rage shootings is going up. Florida is second in the nation when it comes to people killed due to road rage shootings. Experts attribute that to more people carrying guns.
"More and more people are carrying firearms in their cars, we're seeing things like this happening, it's not necessarily new, but it's happening more these days," Herbet said.
The FHP and Herbet said if you find yourself in a road rage situation to not engage with the driver. It can be hard to not want to express your frustration as well, but this could result in a bad situation.
If you feel like you're seeing someone who is driving aggressively, call FHP (*347), and try to get the license plate and any details about the car. If you can get a safe distance away from the driver, try to, but be safe.