Aggressive drivers are a growing threat on the roads.
Statistics show road rage shootings and injuries resulting from these incidents have been going up since 2019, ABC15 reported in 2023. With that data, Arizona ranked second in the nation for the highest rate of people shot in road rage incidents.
According to a December report from Everytown Research and Policy, “the five states with the highest rate of people shot in road rage incidents are New Mexico, Arizona, Tennessee, Colorado, and Wisconsin.”
Busy intersections can be extremely stressful for drivers, Dr. Ryan Fuller, a psychologist with New York Behavioral Health, said in an interview with ABC News.
"They perceive someone cutting them off as just one step too far," Fuller said about the mindset of an angry driver. "And the majority of drivers, over 50 percent, describe themselves as angry while driving."
Fuller said all rational thinking goes out the window.
"We've had clients, they won't hear their spouses yelling at them, they won't hear the police sirens," he said. "They're so focused on getting the person in front of them. Everything else is blocked out."
Fuller said if you're getting hot under the hood, chill out.
"Monitor your own internal temperature," he said. "Take a few deep breaths, slow things down, and make sure you're giving yourself plenty of room between you and the other cars."
And the best way to avoid those dangerous freak-outs is to stay in your car, he said.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated from a 2013 ABC News report.