Getting angry on the road is understandable — but it may lead to criminal charges.
We have all been there — especially in Southern California. Stuck in traffic, and some obnoxious driver cuts you off or does something dangerous that could have caused an accident. Exploding in anger is a natural response in those situations — yet doing so has the potential to land you in jail. It’s one thing to yell or mutter under your breath when someone is acting like a jerk on the road — it’s another thing to take it a step further and get physical.
Commonly known as “road rage,” this type of behavior can include anything from obscene gestures to violent behavior like chasing someone off the road, threatening someone with a gun or aggressively chasing someone down. While most people are able to handle obnoxious drivers on the road without flipping out and engaging in this sort of behavior, you should be aware that if you do lose your cool in this manner, it could result in criminal charges.
As experienced Orange County criminal defense attorneys, we have seen people get charged with crimes for their out of control anger while driving. This could include charges such as aggressive or reckless driving. Under the California Vehicle Code, it is a crime to drive a vehicle in a way that shows a “willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” If you go after someone aggressively — tailgating them, speeding, swerving across lanes to follow them — it could result in an aggressive or reckless driving charge. If you are convicted, you could be looking at up to 90 days in jail and $1,000 in fines. Worse yet, if you cause bodily injury, great bodily injury or property damage to someone other than yourself, you could be facing higher penalties — as well as a likely civil lawsuit for your actions.
Another potential criminal charge for “road rage” could be assault or even assault with a deadly weapon. Assault involves causing another person to fear that they are going to be injured or killed. If your behavior makes the other driver or a pedestrian reasonably believe that they will be injured or harmed as a result of your likely actions, then you could be convicted of assault. For example, if you sped up as though you were going to ram into a motorcycle and then stopped at the last minute, that could be considered assault, or even assault with a deadly weapon (with the car being considered the deadly weapon). Depending on the severity of your actions and how it is charged, an assault charge could result in anywhere from six months in county jail and $1,000 in fines or four years in California state prison. An experienced Orange County criminal defense attorney can help you understand how your case may be charged by a prosecutor.
If your actions went beyond threatening and you actually hurt someone — for example, by getting out of your car and hitting someone — then you will likely be charged with battery. Battery can be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor, depending on the facts of the case and the seriousness of the injuries to the victim.
At the Chambers Law Firm, we understand that traffic on Southern California roadways can be awful — but we urge you to be calm and avoid road rage whenever possible. If you have been charged with a crime related to road rage, we can help. Our knowledgable Orange County criminal defense attorneys will aggressively defend you against all charges, and will work hard to get you the best possible outcome. Contact us today at 714-760-4088 or dchambers@clfca.com to schedule a free initial consultation.
