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‘Flat out dangerous’: Why CMPD thinks road rage encounters are on the rise

CHARLOTTE — Police said they are seeing an alarming increase in road rage incidents in Charlotte this year, and think it may be tied to the coronavirus pandemic.

Channel 9 has reported in the past about the increase in violent crime in Charlotte, and there are several factors behind that. On Wednesday, CMPD told Channel 9 that road rage is one of those factors.

As we are seeing COVID restrictions lifted and more cars on the roads and highways, police said there is more aggressive driving taking place, which is leading to more road rage encounters.

So far this year, CMPD said they’ve investigated 40 reports of road rage, and 20 of them involved guns -- where someone used or threatened to use a gun.

Police have also made 10 arrests connected to those cases.

Police pointed out a specific incident that happened Tuesday involving a Charlotte-Mecklenburg school bus that encountered an angry driver. The school bus was on Lancaster Highway at about 7:30 a.m. when a driver cut it off, got out of his car and smashed the window in the bus’s door.

The bus was going to J.M. Robinson Middle School with a handful of students onboard. There were no injuries.

A veteran bus driver told crime reporter Mark Becker they are often targets of road rage.

“Drivers pull out in front of us and throw on the brakes,” the bus driver said. “They cut right over in front of us where we have to slam on brakes, so we won’t hit him them in their doors. It has gotten worse.”

CMPD spoke about the uptick in road rage incidents and warned that something very minor can quickly escalate into a violent confrontation.

“I know people are in a hurry. I am too,” said Lt. Chris Rorie. “But just remember that people who are aggressively driving -- it’s very frustrating and I get it -- but engaging in these types of situations aren’t productive and it’s flat out dangerous.”

Rorie said that if you are involved in a case of road rage to report it immediately and give police a good description of the car and the driver and let them take over.

Tips to best avoid road rage situations:

  • Remain calm and non-confrontational in a road rage situation to de-escalate the encounter.
  • If you find yourself in a situation involving road rage, slow down.
  • Don’t tailgate, rather allow the angry driver to get well ahead of you and avoid using your horn or making gestures that further instigate the encounter.
  • In situations where that does not work or you feel you are in danger, call 911.
  • Dispatchers will work with you to find a crowded area where our officers will meet with you and resolve the issue.