American Drivers Are Shooting Each Other at Alarming Rates ... every 17 hours

[Demovictory9]

American Drivers Are Shooting Each Other at Alarming Rates
A US motorist is killed or wounded by gunfire every 17 hours, says advocacy group

Texas isn’t the only place in America where road rage incidents involving gunfire have reached alarming levels, but the state seems to have more than its fair share, reports the New York Times. In Houston, to cite an example that made national headlines, a 17-year-old was killed as he and his father were leaving an Astros game. Another driver—enraged at being cut off—chased them onto the highway and fired a single shot, missing the father but hitting the son in the back of his head. Similar incidents abound. “In the past, people curse one another, throw up the finger, and keep moving,” says Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Now … they’re pulling out the gun and shooting.”

Road rage shootings are not new, but 2021 was an exceptionally bad year. Per the Times, Americans’ post-pandemic behavior “suggests a cultural commonality, an extreme example of deteriorating behavior that has also flared on airplanes and in stores.” The shift comes amid surging gun sales, including many by first-time buyers.

Per the Guardian, which last year reported on record numbers of FBI criminal background checks (reliable benchmarks for calculating gun purchases), had this quote from a Los Angeles City Council member: “Americans are in an arms race with themselves. There was just as much a run on guns as on toilet paper in the beginning of the pandemic.” Forbes reports that sales have only recently fallen back toward pre-pandemic levels.

Road rage is not a federal crime category, so most law enforcement agencies don’t keep stats on it, but they’re starting to now. Dallas, for example, reported 45 people wounded and 11 dead last year, per the Times. Austin has reported 15 shootings so far this year, with three people hit. Everytown for Gun Safety says 500 Americans were injured or killed in road rage shootings in 2021, compared to about 300 in 2019. “Only in this country is someone shot and injured or killed every 17 hours in a road rage incident," a researcher with the group tells the Times.

https://www.newser.com/story/319237/road-rage-shootings-are-way-up-across-us.html

[Kingofalldems]

1. Gimme my guns!

And here they come....

[a kennedy]

2. This is scary.........ya don't know what creeps are carrying guns, just to damn many. 🤬

[exboyfil]

3. I worry about my wife

She drives very slowly and cautiously most of the time. I am afraid one of these yahoos will get it in his head to teach her a lesson.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. What Republicans wanted: survival-of-the-fittest, Darwin, Ayn Rand, Oligarchs

Grab more ammo. Aim well. The strong survive. You're doing the work of the Lord.

How does one claim self-defense while driving a vehicle and executing other drivers?

[Emile]

5. One of the reasons I retired from truck driving. I had a guy wave a hand gun at me

because I slowed him down as I was slowly passing another truck. I couldn't speed up because I was driving a truck with a governor set at 65 mph.

[underpants]

6. Tiny little sleepy Stuart's Draft VA. Near the Dollar General.

Stuart’s Draft is the home to THE Little Debbie plant which is right across the street from a Hershey’s plant. There’s also a Target distribution site there too.



Martin is being charged with 1 felony count of maliciously shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, 1 felony count of, while in a motor vehicle, discharging a firearm to create the risk of injury or death to another person, 1 felony count of use or display a firearm in commission of a felony and 1 felony count of attempted felonious assault.

Flanagan is being charged with 1 felony count of accessory to maliciously shoot at an occupied vehicle.

On Thursday afternoon, there was a large law enforcement presence on Rt. 340 near the schools. The incident occurred on Stuarts Draft Highway, not school property, according to authorities. All Stuarts Draft schools were placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure.

“This was an isolated incident between the three acquaintances, and there is no threat to the community at this time,” said Sheriff Donald Smith.

https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/07/vehicle-shot-stuarts-draft-area-schools-lockdown/

[Demovictory9]

8. Article.short on details

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. If only it were just drivers shooting each other.

But too many Americans think that guns are the solution to everything.

Honestly, every time I read of yet another shooting at a party or school or shopping center, my first reaction is to say, "Oh, yawn. This isn't news." It would be as if every day the newspaper reported breathlessly that the sun rose in the east.

Every single day more than 300 people are shot in this country, and over 100 die.

[betsuni]

9. Scary!

Second time this week I've posted something from "L.A. Story" (1991) that sort of came true:

[Initech]

10. Gee, thanks NRA!

Also - go fuck yourselves!

[Lunabell]

11. Any statistics on open carry states vs normal people?

It seems to me that if a gun is strapped to your side 24/7, there would be a higher rate in open carry states.

[Aussie105]

12. So much for 'I need a gun for self defense'.

You hurting my feelings, did something I do not like, are something I do not approve of, so . . . . instant 'self defense' mode, throw some noise, throw some lead?

Seems logical!

America is at war with itself.
Be careful out there!
Nut cases around you are bad enough, armed nut cases the worst.

Question: When does 'self defense' turn into excessive and unwarranted aggression?
Answer: As soon as that gun comes out.

[Rebl2]

13. Time to

make it a federal crime

[spanone]

14. too many guns.

[Pepsidog]

15. I lived and went to law school in Texas in the 80's and loved it. I'm a gun owner but would never

live in a state like Texas where they allow every quack to be strapped. No thanks. Trained cops have low accuracy rates when in gun battles, imagine these clowns shooting up cars every time a driver flips someone the bird.

[Harker]

16. An armed society is a deadly society. n/t

[lambchopp59]

17. cheezus crackers

I've been rear ended 4X and broadsided 2X. One of the broadside incidents, my Chevy Suburban was totalled, my dog riding in back got the worst of the injuries.
Never (knocks on wood) has the front end of my vehicle contacted another.
I've had to pull off and take deep breaths, a few choice words, but I just can't drive aggressively. It's simply too dangerous and in my hospital job certainly witness the worst of MVA's.
However, tailgaters make me so nervous with my history of being slammed while driving carefully.
I've thought if I built a trunk mechanism with a large digital display that warns a tailgater:
BACK OFF IN... 5... 4... 3... (while the paintball cannon deploys)... 2... 1... **phoot**
**splat**