The Barnes Firm

Feeling the #RoadRage

• March 13, 2017
• Sandy

LOS ANGELES – No one has it worse than L.A. drivers. The gridlock is endless and sometimes tempers flare. So it’s no surprise that the City of Angels feels the most #RoadRage on Instagram.

According to the Auto Insurance Center, an analysis of Instagram posts geotagged with #RoadRage determined that Los Angeles is the capital of the world for traffic-related tempers. The analysis also measured the peak time of day, peak seasons, and states with the most road rage-related grams.

A Los Angeles car crash lawyer at The Barnes Firm says it’s important to keep a cool frame-of-mind when operating a motor vehicle – it could save your life.

“Research has shown that drivers who are stressed or angry are more likely to cause a car crash in Los Angeles,” car accident lawyer John Sheehan said. “Even if you’re hit by someone else, it’s important to take a deep breath and shake-off the frustrations because hot tempers can lead to more problems.”

The Auto Insurance Center looked at more than 65,000 posts on social media, which has given many drivers a way to express their anger, sometimes while they’re driving. Here are some of the highlights from their research:

• With more than 7,000 posts with #RoadRage, August was the hottest month for traffic-fueled tempers
• As the week progresses, more drivers head to social media to express their frustrations – more than 10,400 posts were written on Fridays, the most of any other day of the week
• Tempers flare from 3 pm to 7pm, during the heart of rush hour. More than 4,800 posts were made during the 6 o’clock rush-hour
• Hawaii feels more traffic pain than any other state (with limited land, it’s no surprise)

The study also looked at the most common words associated with #RoadRage posts. Many of those words were… colorful… adjectives dotted with hashtags for specific areas like New York City, Los Angeles and Brooklyn.

The Auto Insurance Center said its research did not necessarily examine what it calls “true road rage,” which is often characterized by real violence, injuries, and sometimes death. Researchers said true offenders are not likely to post on social media but instead, take more aggressive actions.

Safety advocates said they hope the information will remind motorists to allow for extra time, adjust their schedules and to steer clear of aggressive drivers.

“If you’ve been injured in a crash, let us handle the frustrating part which is getting you the compensation you’re owed,” Sheehan said. “Nothing is more important than your health, so the less stress you have, the better.”

Calm, collected and levelheaded actions can prevent further frustrations or tragedies.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident, there may be actions you can take to obtain compensation for your injuries. The first step is contacting a car accident lawyer at The Barnes Firm. With offices across the nation, an experienced attorney can help you obtain the best result possible.

The Barnes Firm 1-(800) 800-0000