{"id":5762,"date":"2026-07-29T13:07:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T13:07:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5762"},"modified":"2026-07-29T13:07:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T13:07:33","slug":"chp-officer-aaa-share-pointers-on-how-to-handle-road-rage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=5762","title":{"rendered":"CHP officer, AAA share pointers on how to handle road rage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Road rage is all too common in the Bay Area. In the last two weeks alone, a Fairfield incident injured two and a Redwood City confrontation ended in death.<\/p>\n

Read more Simone Biles: \u2018Avril Lavigne stole my sunglasses\u2019 at Taylor Swift\u2019s MSG wedding<\/a><\/p>\n

How can drivers safely handle such situations?<\/p>\n

The phenomenon isn\u2019t confined to the Bay Area by any means. A staggering 92 percent of U.S. drivers have engaged in aggressive behaviors such as cutting off other vehicles, according to a November 2025 AAA study. Worse yet, 11 percent reported deliberately bumping another car or confronting another driver.<\/p>\n

Aggressive behavior is contagious, according to the report. Drivers who experienced higher levels of aggressive driving also had higher levels of engagement in aggressive driving.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, \u201cDefinitely you want to avoid reacting or retaliating,\u201d said Officer Scott Heitman of the Solano County division of the California Highway Patrol.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay calm \u2013 don\u2019t engage. Avoid eye contact, making gestures or responding,\u201d Heitman says.<\/p>\n

Along those lines, \u201cDon\u2019t take the bait. Ignore. Avoid,\u201d said Spokesperson John Treanor of AAA Northern California<\/p>\n

Sometimes it can be difficult to avoid an aggressive driver, though. It\u2019s not unheard of for a motorist in a road rage confrontation to follow the other driver.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe typically recommend that if you feel you are being followed, call 911. Our units will try to get in position if they observe unsafe driving by another party,\u201d Heitman said. \u201cThen we would make a traffic stop at that point for the violation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Man dies after crashing into tree in Antioch<\/a><\/p>\n

The officer noted, \u201cWe recommend that you have Bluetooth and hands-free dialing in place prior to getting behind the wheel.\u201d It is legal to call 911 if you are in an emergency situation.<\/p>\n

Another option is driving to a police station, \u201csomewhere safe that would deter the suspect from continuing to follow,\u201d Heitman said. \u201cKnow where your police stations are.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the officer noted that the Highway Patrol doesn\u2019t recommend speeding or engaging in any reckless behavior to try to get away.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Both Heitman and Treanor emphasized, \u201cDon\u2019t drive home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Treanor noted, \u201cA lot of this comes down to people who are in a hurry and feel they have to speed or act quickly and look at other drivers and think, \u2018They\u2019re in my way.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

For that reason, AAA recommends that drivers leave with extra time to reach their destination to alleviate tension and potential aggressive driving.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have one ultimate goal, all of us, and that\u2019s to get home safely,\u201d Treanor said.<\/p>\n

Read more Five 49ers casting a positive first impression at training camp<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Road rage is all too common in the Bay Area. In the last two weeks alone, a Fairfield incident injured two and a Redwood City confrontation ended in death. 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