Document text
Since You Asked: Road rage complaint can lead to citation Friday Oct 2, 2009 at 12:01 AM Last week I was the victim of a road rage incident on South Riverside Avenue. The driver behind me thought I was going too slow and began honking his horn repeatedly and drove right up to my back bumper and remained there for quite a while. Last week I was the victim of a road rage incident on South Riverside Avenue. The driver behind me thought I was going too slow and began honking his horn repeatedly and drove right up to my back bumper and remained there for quite a while. I was wondering, what is the penalty for road rage? Is it a serious traffic crime or more like a speeding ticket? — Cheryl G., Medford We're glad the driver's foolish actions that day did not result in a wreck, Cheryl. The first thing you need to know about road rage is that there is no road rage statute on the books. The term "road rage" encompasses a number of infractions that occur when a driver loses his cool on the road and attempts to intimidate another motorist, said Medford police Lt. Bob Hansen. "You will never get a ticket with the words 'road rage' written on it," Hansen said. "You could, however, get several tickets during a road rage incident." The possible citations include following too close, reckless driving, careless driving and, in extreme circumstances, menacing. "One citation a driver engaging in road rage might face is unlawful use of a horn," Hansen said. "That's when they lay on the horn for a long period of time." If a police officer is not in the area when you become the victim of an aggressive driver, take down the driver's license number and description of the car. You can take this information to the Medford police and fill out a citizen traffic complaint form. If the police feel enough evidence is present, the driver will be cited to appear in court on charges associated with road rage. "Be sure you get an accurate description of the driver while you're at it," Hansen said. "You should be able to point to a picture and identify the aggressive driver. Otherwise, you will not be able to prove who was driving when the incident occurred." Though a road rage moment might affect your day, these problem drivers have not caused serious crashes in Medford, Hansen said. "It's not a huge problem here, but it does happen," Hansen said. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected].