DENVER — Road rage incidents have steadily increased over the past several years, with two recent incidents resulting in deaths, prompting police to urge drivers to be courteous on the roadways.
Denver Police said they received 321 reports of road rage through the end of August. Over the same time frame in 2021, just 186 such incidents were reported, according to data provided by police.
A Consumer Affairs report published in 2024 ranked Colorado as the fourth worst state in the country for road rage. There were 210 offenses between Jan. 1 and Sept. 1 in 2022, and 321 over the same period the following year.
"What a shame that we are fourth in the country for aggressive driving. In just the last few weeks, we had a road rage incident that resulted in a homicide, we had another one the very next day that resulted in a fatal car accident, and that’s very concerning to us," said Denver Police Lt. Julie Wheaton.
Road rage typically occurs when a person intentionally drives aggressively, which can impact their safety and the safety of others. Examples include tailgating, or braking hard and unexpectedly in front of another vehicle. Excessive speed, aggressively changing lanes and excessive horn usage can also be types of road rage.
"We all can relate to getting mad while being behind the wheel of a car," Wheaton said. "If you drive, especially in a big city like this with construction, dense roads and busy lives, I would just tell you to take a deep breath, think about the people in your own life that you care about and maybe extend some grace and patience to even a stranger.”
Several recent incidents highlight the potentially dangerous consequences.
A man died last month on South Santa Fe Drive after a suspected road rage shooting. Police arrested a 21-year-old man on a first-degree murder charge.
On Aug. 24, police responded to a crash on Interstate 25 near the Santa Fe exit. Investigators determined a driver died after aggressively changing lanes in front of another driver and braking hard. That move caused the two vehicles to collide and roll. The other driver suffered seriously injuries.
On Sept. 15, a driver got out of their vehicle and began breaking the windows of another vehicle. The other driver struck the person while trying to flee to safety, police said.
That incident remains under investigation.
"One of the things that we’re doing is targeted operations, addressing aggressive driving by stopping people, not only ticketing but also educating on what this results in and trying to help them understand why aggressive driving is so dangerous,” Wheaton said.
To curb road rage, police provided the following tips:
- Drive respectfully and calmly while following the rules of the road.
- Use turn signals and allow vehicles to merge.
- Acknowledge kind behaviors of other drivers with a wave or polite gesture.
- Refrain from responding to aggressive drivers with offensive gestures or other aggressive behaviors, and avoid eye contact.
- Travel to a safe place away from an aggressive driver, such as exiting the highway or driving to a police station.
- If the driver is experiencing anger, try to remain calm and if needed, pull over until the anger subsides.
- Call 911 to report dangerous and/or illegal behaviors.