Armed Road Rage: Man, enraged when car in front of him stops for yellow light, pulls gun

Monday, August 29, 2011

Man, enraged when car in front of him stops for yellow light, pulls gun

53-year-old Richard Rankin, of Pearland, Texas was driving closely behind another car Thursday afternoon. The car in front of him came to the intersection of Ray and Austin Streets and stopped for a yellow light. When the light turned green Rankin pulled up alongside the other car and allegedly pulled out a gun, pointed it at the driver, and sped away. Pearlman was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and exhibiting a deadly weapon.

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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'."