Road Rage Island: Violent incidents happen all the time, but experts have tips for staying safe on the roads

When you get behind the wheel on Long Island, you’ll have to contend with a disturbing trend: a sharp increase in traffic accidents in recent years, some of which have even been fatal.

Experts familiar with the problem, which state and local data illustrate, said factors that could be contributing to the increase include increased congestion on roads since the COVID-19 pandemic waned and stressors such as job and financial worries.

They also said there are ways for angry drivers to curb their anger, while those who are victims of a confrontation can try techniques to prevent violence from escalating.

Alec Slatky, a spokesman for AAA Northeast, said even the gentlest person can become an angry driver.

“You put them behind the wheel of a car and just psychologically it changes them,” he said. “We see people involved in these incidents who would never dream of doing something like this in any other context.”

Last year there was a 15% increase in accidents on the island There were 340 crashes in 2023, up from 295 in 2020, compared to 2020, according to the Albany-based Institute for Highway Safety Management and Research.

Nassau County Police Department data covering all traffic incidents, including criminal incidents and non-criminal incidents – which do not result in injuries or property damage – paint an even clearer picture of the growing problem.

In Nassau, the number of road violence-related incidents has increased 210% in recent years, with 57 cases in 2020 compared to 177 cases in 2023, statistics police spokeswoman Det. Tracey Cabey has provided. She said as of Monday, there have been 169 incidents in 2024.

A spokeswoman for the Suffolk County Police Department said the agency is unable to track traffic violence incidents in its records system and officials would otherwise decline to comment.

“Escalates very quickly”

Road rage is commonplace in both counties, most recently with the arrest of a motorist in Suffolk for a felony and the conviction of a motorist in Nassau for a crime that took the life of a Baldwin man last year.

On Monday, the driver, Patrick Loughlin, 37, of Babylon, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault charges after police say he ran someone over at a West Babylon mall Saturday night.

Suffolk police said Loughlin and the alleged victim had an argument outside Gino’s Pizzeria on Route 109 before Loughlin allegedly rammed that person’s vehicle three times with his pickup truck, running over her body before leaving the scene. An attorney for the alleged victim identified him as Sachem School District teacher John Aebly.

Police have not said what led to the alleged altercation, and Loughlin’s attorney previously told Newsday his client had “never been in trouble in his life.”

Last week, a Nassau judge sentenced Queens man Patrick Destine, 28, to 18 years to life in prison for fatally striking another driver, David McKenzie, 54, in Baldwin last spring.

On April 15, 2023, authorities said Destine smashed a stop sign in his Infiniti and crashed into McKenzie’s minivan before chasing after and fatally beating the victim, who was just steps from his home.

Nassau County Police Department Commissioner Patrick Ryder acknowledged the growing problem in an interview Tuesday.

“There were shootings. There were people being hit with bats… it escalated very quickly,” Ryder said.

The commissioner said the department has added patrols to conduct traffic enforcement and address road rage, which is on track to surpass last year’s numbers in Nassau.

The overall increase in accidents on the island is due to road rage or aggressiveness The number of drivers is in line with a nationwide increase over the last year. Nationwide, road rage or aggressive driving were listed as triggering factors in 2,859 crashes in 2023, compared to 2,651 in 2020, according to the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research.

“You see red”

Although road rage is not a new problem, some experts say adding traffic problems and obstructions to high levels of stress can overwhelm even the most sensible person. Other experts disagreed, saying only people with certain risk factors resort to violence behind the wheel.

But Slatky, the AAA Northeast spokesman, explained that any drivers trying to get to a destination may perceive other drivers on the road as obstacles “getting in the way.”

Slatky and others who have studied road violence said that’s because there’s a tendency to view drivers in cars as objects rather than people, making it easier to behave badly.

According to Thomas DiBlasi, a licensed psychologist and assistant professor at LIU Post, the increase in incidents also comes at a time when more people are struggling financially and experiencing more stress overall.

“If you’re worried about putting food on the table and feeling stressed, you’re now more likely to have repressed your anger and are taking it out on the street,” DiBlasi said.

Licensed clinical social worker Bill Solz used a simple analogy to describe road rage.

He compared it to water boiling over in a pot. Water in the pot represents stored stress and the flames heating the pot are stressors, he said. For people who struggle with a lot of stress, Solz says it doesn’t take much to trigger them and make the water boil over.

“In my experience, people who suffer from road rage have a lot of accumulated stress. You don’t need much to trigger them. If someone finishes them off, that’s it, they see red,” said Solz, director of Stress Solutions at New York in Melville.

He said people who are angry in traffic have not learned appropriate coping strategies.

“People don’t know how to deal with stress effectively,” he said.

Mark R. Serper, a psychology professor at Hofstra University, said there are several factors that could increase the risk of road rage. He said that includes being a thrill seeker, having a sense of entitlement and being exposed to media that glorifies car racing and car chases.

“People don’t just go for a leisurely car ride on Sundays. Nowadays, most people get in the car and want to get there as quickly as possible, as quickly as possible. Any obstacle that prevents them from doing so can lead to aggressive tendencies,” he said.

According to Serper, slow drivers, traffic jams and road construction can lead to people at increased risk being removed from traffic.

Do not make eye contact

Experts say there are several strategies for drivers to stay calm. Drivers need to allow more time to arrive at their destination, become more aware of their emotions and not overdramatize current problems, they advised. Some experts also described coping techniques.

DiBlasi recommended drivers try deep breathing, coupled with the idea that “even if I’m right, it doesn’t give me the right” to behave badly. He also suggested keeping a few “little reminders” in the car, personal items that serve as a message “to keep cool,” such as a keychain or fidget toy.

Other experts said the best advice for those attacked by other drivers is to remain calm, not make eye contact, not engage with the other person and drive away.

Serper said people need to follow basic safety rules.

“If someone attacks you on the street, don’t attack them. Take care of yourself and let him pass,” he added.

Several Long Island residents said Tuesday that they are staying away from drivers who want to dominate the road at the expense of other people’s safety.

Steven Wolvovsky, 69, of Syosset said when he encounters a hostile situation, he “just retreats.”

“I interacted with them and said it’s not worth it because you don’t know if they have a gun or anything,” he added.

Glen Cove resident Annette Stephens said she was scared when a car drove alongside her and suddenly cut her off. She said she kept her emotions under control because she was aware the other driver could hurt her. According to her, many people lack patience due to heavy traffic.

“I’m trying to calm down and … I’m just praying for her,” Stephens, 64, said.