Experts discuss causes of road rage after recent incident in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Getting cut off, honked at and brake-checked — rage can quickly flare up on the road.

AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins says being courteous to other drivers lowers the chances of road rage.

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“Don’t tailgate and just be courteous of other drivers. Don’t use your high beams when you’re behind somebody, or don’t slam on the horn whenever the light turns green and you’re waiting on somebody to go,” he said.

There’s still little known about the psychology behind road rage and aggressive driving, Jenkins says.

“It could just be the fact that people are in their own privacy of their own vehicle, and they feel a little bit more empowered as opposed to being face-to-face with somebody,” he added.

Jenkins says higher gas prices and inflation may be contributing factors.

Life Counseling Solutions CEO Janie Lacy told our sister station in Orlando that anxiety from COVID-19 is triggering people’s fight-or-flight responses on the road.

“A lot of people are walking around wounded, they get behind a car, they’re not well, then we get bolder because we’re behind the wheel, we don’t necessarily see the person’s face. So we take things personal,” Lacy said.

A 2018 study by GasBuddy.com put Florida in the top 10 states with the most aggressive drivers.

On Wednesday, police arrested 31-year-old Issac Partridge after they say he shot another driver multiple times in a road rage incident at Interstate 95 and Philips Highway. Partridge is facing a second-degree attempted murder charge.

Related: Road rage shooting suspect was ‘blowing smoke’ from exhaust, victim told Jacksonville police

Coincidentally, this week a woman was sentenced to eight years in prison after she chased a man who hit her car back in 2019. Police say Ana Jimenez’ car then collided with the man’s car on Roosevelt Boulevard, where he lost control and crashed, dying at the scene.

Jenkins says if you are confronted on the road, don’t respond to aggression with aggression.

“Stay calm, avoid eye contact, and just let the person go by,” he said.

On Thursday evening, Partridge was still in the Duval County Jail. A judge gave him a $500,000 bond in court earlier in the day. If released, he’s ordered to have no contact with the victim, and he’ll have to wear a GPS monitor.

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