Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
A Quincy man is claiming self-defense after a stabbing that police are blaming on road rage, the Boston Globe reports.
Our Boston accident attorneys have reported before on the dangers of road rage and aggressive driving. Aggressive driving involves a number of driving behaviors of which most drivers are guilty of at some point, including speeding, tailgating, changing lanes without using a signal and speeding up for yellow lights. Road rage, as in this case, is usually defined as a criminal offense.
Road rage injures or kills at least 1,500 motorists each year and Massachusetts has been at the forefront of the issue from the beginning. One of the first comprehensive studies of the issue, conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, opens with a 1994 case of road rage in Massachusetts in which a 54-year-old bookkeeper fatally shot a 42-year-old motorist with a crossbow.
In Monday’s case, the 62-year-old motorist said another motorist became angry at him for blocking traffic on Morrissey Boulevard after he was involved in an accident. The defendant claims he was defending himself when he stabbed the motorist. He has pleaded not guilty in Dorchester District Court to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
The alleged stabbing victim was also issued a summons to appear in court on charges of assault, assault and battery on a person over 60, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and disorderly conduct.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers tips for reducing stress while driving and for avoiding road rage in Boston.
-Get out of the Way: Don’t challenge the other driver.
-Put your pride aside: Do not speed up, attempt to hold your own or otherwise provoke the driver.
-Avoid eye contact: Which may enrage an aggressive driver.
-Gestures: Ignore them and don’t return them.
-Report serious aggressive drivers: Pull over to a safe location and alert authorities to the location and description of the vehicle, including license plate number.
If you have been injured in a Massachusetts car crash, contact Boston Personal Injury Attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.