Armed Road Rage: February 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Vermont man draws gun during road rage incident

34-year-old Matija Gubic, of Burlington, Vermont, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after pointing a gun at another driver during a road rage incident.
According to police, Gubic was being tailgated by another driver and when the car went to pass him Gubic drew a .45-caliber handgun and pointed it out his window at the other driver.
Vermont is one of four states that does not require any permit before being able to carry a gun in public.
Gubic was not able to make the $10,000 bail so remains in jail.

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States have made it easier and easier for motorists to carry loaded guns in their vehicles. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health asked the question, "Are motorists with guns in the car more or less likely to engage in hostile and aggressive behavior? The studies concluded that "riding with a firearm in the vehicle was a marker for aggressive and dangerous driver behavior."

(see Accident Analysis and Prevention, Nov. 2005, issue 38, pgs. 687-695 and 2002, issue 34, pgs. 807-814)

Authors Hemenway, Vriniotis, and Miller write, "Road rage may be most dangerous when an enraged motorists has immediate access to a lethal weapon, such as a gun. Our study finds that motorists who have ridden with firearms in their vehicles are more likely to make obscene gestures at other drivers and to follow other drivers aggressively. They are also more likely to be the victims of these behaviors. Contrary to common claims, it does not appear that 'an armed society is a polite society'."