A road rage incident that occurred recently along Georgia Highway 316 in Oconee County apparently stemmed from a slower motorist traveling in the left lane and impeding the faster traffic.
The road rage was reported before 7 a.m. Dec. 3 after it ended in a crash between the vehicles.
A 48-year-old Winder man charged in the crash became upset about his arrest as he claimed the 48-year-old Loganville driver was as much to blame for the wreck as him, according to an Oconee County sheriff’s report. However, the suspect did admit to the officer that he has problems controlling his anger and that he initially lied about how the wreck occurred.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety Motor Carrier Compliance Division reports on its website that incidents of road rage have increased every year since 1990s. However, it noted that the road rage incidents reported to law enforcement may only be “a small tip of a very large iceberg.”
In this incident, the man arrested told the officer that from the time they were traveling in Barrow County, the other driver in a Kia Optima was “blocking” the left lane. When they entered Oconee County, the Kia driver told the officer that the Toyota Tundra, which had been tailgating him, passed him and the driver threw a bottle at his car.
The Toyota then pulled over in front of the Kia and hit the brakes, according to the Kia driver. The Kia driver said he was unable to stop in time and crashed into the rear of the Toyota.
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The Toyota driver complained he was late for work and the Kia driver was blocking the left lane and randomly speeding up and slowing down.
Oconee County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jeremy Wasdin said people driving slower than other traffic and remaining in the fast lane is a common issue on the four-lane highway. He said many states have a law requiring motorists to stay in the right lane except to pass. And one of the reasons, Wasdin said, is to prevent people from becoming angry.
The Department of Public Safety has said aggressive driving can escalate and result in murder and severe injury. Most drivers can let their emotions die out, but aggressive drivers do not, it reported.
Signs of aggressive driving
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Speeding, tailgating and weaving in and out.
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Making unsafe lane changes.
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Running stop signs and red lights.
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Honking horns or screaming at other drivers.
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Flashing headlights at slower moving cars.
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Source: The Georgia Department of Public Safety Motor Carrier Compliance Division
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Road rage on Highway 316 in Oconee ends with two-vehicle collision