Advertisement | Place an Ad
| My Portfolio | |
|---|---|
|
|
Advertisement | Place an Ad
"He Was Going Berserk At Me Again"
Published: Thursday, December 20, 2012
Provided By 
More Autos Articles
One moment, Ken Olsen was uneventfully driving down a highway. The next, an angry motorist was purposely rear-ending him and making rude gestures.
That was just the beginning.
In an eight-minute ordeal captured by a dashcam, the assailant pulls alongside Olsen's car and bumps him, retreats, pulls along the other side of Olsen while straddling a grassy median and, finally, veers in front of him and slams on his brakes, causing an accident.
That was just the beginning of this dramatic road-rage episode. Next, the raging driver gets out of the car, climbs on Olsen's hood and shatters his windshield. The incident took place in the Queensland, Australia last week.
"He was going berserk at me again, and I'm thinking, 'This bloke seems a little unbalanced," Olsen told CQ News. Police are still searching for the assailant.
The case is hardly an isolated one. In a June incident that has several parallels to the Australia one, a Tampa woman allegedly rammed the vehicle ahead of her, and punched two drivers when she accosted the victim vehicle. In September, a Texas woman shot and killed a motorist after a minor collision in a gas station lot.
In a recent survey, 8 of 10 drivers questioned by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety say aggressive driving is a "serious" or "extremely serious" risk that jeopardizes their safety. It says that aggressive driving leads to more than half of all traffic fatalities.
While aggressive driving can include common behaviors like speeding and tailgating, the foundation also says it can include seeking confrontations with other drivers.
What should you do if confronted by an unruly maniac like the one in the video above?
--If someone is shaking their fist and making threatening gestures, the best move you can make is pull over and let them get away from you, or turn off of your route to get away from the other car. The best way to avoid a fight is to leave it before it starts.
-If someone has left their vehicle and is confronting you on foot outside of your car, get your doors locked. Calm yourself and turn away. If you have your phone, dial 911 and let the responder know that the police are coming.
-Do not retaliate against a road rage instigator. You have no idea whether the person has a weapon. Be smart. Try to leave the area of the instigator as quickly and safely as possible.
Vehicle Research
Vehicle Reviews
The 2013 Mazda CX-5 comes in three trim levels: Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring. Each offers a choice of...More Detail
More Autos Articles
Provided By
Rally Driver 'Sorry' For Driving Into Crowd
Normal driving can turn up the stress on an average commuter, unleashing swearing, speeding and road hogs from the mildest mannered office workers.
Your Daily Russian Dashcam Story, Feel-Good Edition
Russian dashcams have brought us footage of everything from giant meteors to phony car accidents. While the bulk of the videos culled from the videos of the former Soviet...
Toyota's Comeback Gains Momentum
TOKYO - Toyota's quarterly profit more than doubled to 313.9 billion yen ($3.2 billion) as cost cuts and better sales worked with a weakening yen to add momentum to the automaker's...
Los Angeles Ranked No. 1 In Traffic Congestion
Los Angeles is a city known for it's celebrity lifestyle, but the city recently regained the number one spot in the country on a less desirable A-list, traffic congestion. The...
Colorado Lawmakers Send 'Too High To Drive' Bill To Governor
After years of debate and six stalled bills the Colorado legislature have finally sent a 'Too High To Drive' bill to the governor's desk.
Most Researched
Based on today's most searched-for vehicles in inventory
Based on this week's most searched-for vehicles in inventory
Based on this month's most searched-for vehicles in inventory
Based on this year's most searched-for vehicles in inventory
ColumbusCars.com is The Columbus Dispatch's website for automotive classified ads. With thousands of auto listings - including Honda, Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Nissan and more - ColumbusCars is Central Ohio's best site to search for new and used cars for sale by local private sellers and car dealerships.
© 2012 The Columbus Dispatch