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Road rage. It happens every day on American roads. Some motorists just can’t handle driving without losing their cool, often at the expense of other drivers. Beyond being a serious safety issue, can you get arrested for road rage?

Law enforcement may arrest a driver for road rage, depending on the circumstances

“A motorist’s uncontrolled anger that is usually provoked by another motorist’s irritating act and is expressed in aggressive or violent behavior. That’s road rage according to Merriam-Webster. But regardless of definition, you know it when you see it. It can span from lewd gestures to violent actions and downright dangerous driving.

Sure, you’re unlikely to end up in handcuffs for extending a not-so-civil hand gesture or shouting at your fellow motorists. No, you’ll just look foolish. You never look as cool or menacing as you think you do losing control on the highway. However, if you follow those silly actions up with aggressive driving like brake-checking or weaving, police could slap you with a reckless driving charge.

A police officer arrests a driver by their vehicle.
A police officer arrests a motorist | gorodenkoff via iStock

Tragically, many cases of road rage extend beyond angry gestures and poor language. Some drivers who lose control will attempt to force their target motorist off the road or inflict damage on their vehicle. In doing so, a road rager may injure or kill other motorists in the process. As you might imagine, a road rage incident resulting in significant damage, injury, or death will almost certainly culminate in an arrest. 

Even more tragically, some road rage incidents end in aggravated assault or a shooting. For instance, a driver on Interstate 275 sideswiped and fired multiple shots into another vehicle on June 14th, per WXYZ Detroit. Fortunately, the angry driver’s intended target survived the ordeal and is recovering. 

As you might imagine, an instance where a driver shoots at another motorist is one of the worst circumstances. Incidentally, authorities charged the I-275 shooter with assault with a dangerous weapon and three counts of reckless driving. Frankly, the driver could conceivably have been charged with attempted murder.

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Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).