TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The roads can be a dangerous place.
A report from Forbes Advisor says Arizona ranks No. 1 for the most confrontational drivers across the country.
If you ever find yourself in a road rage situation, this is what Tucson Police say you should do:
- Don't engage
- Avoid arguments
- Drive in the opposite direction
- Call 911 if you need to.
I met with a few Tucsonans who were comfortable sharing their road rage experiences with me.
Lori and Larry Ketner were driving on Orange Grove Road when they thought a truck coming from Shannon Road was about to T bone them.
Larry was driving and hit his horn, passing the truck.
Then something happened that the couple did not expect.
“This truck, same guy, sped around us, cut right in front of us, sped up and then stopped; hit his breaks all of a sudden and he’s fishtailing," Ketner recounted. "He did that three times and it was really frightening ‘cause we didn’t know what he was gonna do.”
Larry’s been a safe driver for many years, but tells me he's learned a valuable lesson from this scary altercation.
“I just drive much more carefully, and at intersections, I’m sort of on edge,” Ketner said.
Tucson local Ember Douglas experienced road rage from the passenger seat of her ex-partner’s car for years.
She says he would intentionally instigate fights with other drivers.
Douglas detailed how when a car got too close for comfort at a stop light, her ex-partner wouldn’t drive when the light turned green, but wait for the other person to engage first.
“He always had a gun, .45," Douglas described. "What he would do is if the person started walking up towards us, right when he got to here, he’d cock it and set it up on his dash. The person would see that and they’d turn around and go back to their car.”
Pima County Sheriff’s Department said some of the charges road ragers face include:
- Reckless driving
- Aggressive driving
- Threatening/intimidating.
They stress that these criminal misdemeanor charges should not be taken lightly.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
