A graphic in the Illinois State Police public awareness campaign to combat road rage

Despite being sixth in population, Illinois barely cracks the top 20 in terms of road-rage incidents, according to a new study. 

Illinois ranked 19th in road-rage incidents, according to the study by H&P Law. 

The Land of Lincoln scored 58.7 out of 100 in the study. In comparison, Louisiana led the study with a score of 90; and Rhode Island ranked the best with a score of just 40. 

In the Las Vegas law firm’s study, Illinois compared favorably with other states in all weighed criteria. 

Criteria used for the study were: 

• Firearm-related road-rage incidents per 100,000 residents: Illinois, 1.1. New Mexico led the category with 5.5. 

• Percentage of accidents caused by aggressive/careless driving: Illinois, 49.7 percent. New Jersey led the category with 72.1 percent. 

• Percentage of accidents with fatalities caused by aggressive/careless driving per 100,000 residents: Illinois, 4.5 percent. Arkansas led the category with 11.9 percent. 

• Speeding violations per 100,000 residents: Illinois, 1.5. Wyoming led the category with 3.8. 

Illinois’ relatively good study numbers, however, does not mean that road rage is not an issue throughout the state. 

Far west suburban Geneva had two road-rage incidents within a week of each other this spring. 

“There has been a notable increase in aggressive driving in our community,” said Geneva Police Chief Eric Passarelli. “Unfortunately, some of these incidents have escalated to motorists being threatened with a firearm.”

In a recent Park Ridge incident, a Gurnee man was charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle. 

Amani Walker, 24, a resident of Keith Avenue, was arrested after allegedly firing shots at Touhy Avenue and Busse Highway, shortly before 5:15 p.m. Aug. 18. 

A second Illinois State Police graphic

Upon arrival, Park Ridge officers confirmed that a shooting had occurred. However, all parties involved had left the scene prior to the arrival of police. After receiving a description of the vehicles involved, a Park Ridge police officer located two of the vehicles, a grey Hyundai and a dark-colored Honda, stopped in front of the Niles police station with the occupants walking around outside of the vehicles. 

Park Ridge officers conducted a preliminary investigation and learned that the shooting at Touhy and Busse was the result of a road-rage incident. The person who fired the shots fled the scene in a black-colored Jaguar, the other drivers said. 

The investigation revealed that drivers of the Honda and Hyundai were involved in a dispute with the driver of the black Jaguar. At one point, the black Jaguar rear-ended the Hyundai, one driver said. 

All three vehicles came to a stop at Touhy and Busse where the drivers of the Honda and Hyundai exited their vehicles and approached the black Jaguar. They then proceeded to knock and bang on the Jaguar windows, causing the rear window to break. The driver of the Jaguar, defendant Amani Walker, then displayed a gun and the two other drivers proceeded to run back toward their cars, according to police. 

The defendant then fired three shots toward the two other drivers, ultimately striking the Hyundai, police said. No one was hit by the gunfire; and the defendant and the two other drivers then fled the scene. 

After a radio message was sent out to surrounding police departments, Skokie officers observed the black Jaguar and proceeded to initiate a traffic stop. The defendant did not stop and after a short, low-speed pursuit, Skokie police were able to stop the Jaguar and take the defendant into custody, according to investigators. 

During his arrest, the defendant was found to be in possession of a 9mm handgun, police said. The defendant had a Firearm Owners Identification Card and Concealed Carry License. 

Walker was transported to Park Ridge Police Department where Park Ridge detectives contacted the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and received approval for a felony charge of aggravated discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle. 

In other recent road-rage incidents: 

• A Carol Stream man remains in DuPage County Jail accused of shooting another man following a road-rage altercation in June. Carlos Sanchez, 26 of the 800 block of New Britton Road, is charged with one felony count of aggravated battery — discharge of a firearm and the misdemeanor charge of endangering the health or life of a child. At 8:15 p.m. June 27, Carol Stream patrol units responded to Lowes Home Improvement, 400 W. Army Trail Road, for a report of a person with a gun and a man on the ground. Upon their arrival, officers located a man on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg. The victim was transported to a local hospital for medical attention. Following an investigation into the shooting, it is alleged that Sanchez and the victim got into a road-rage incident near Army Trail Road and Kuhn Road. Sanchez’s 6-year-old son was in his car at the time of the incident, prosecutors said. 

• On May 7, a 40-year-old Geneva man was charged with two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and one count of aggravated assault using a deadly weapon. The man approached two people after a driver failed to obey a stop sign near the parking lot for Ulta, 150 S. Randall Road, Geneva, police said. 

• Also in May, a 23-year-old Batavia man allegedly cut off another driver on Kirk Road near Averill Road in Geneva. Following a short verbal altercation, the Batavia man allegedly pointed a gun at the other driver. He was charged with two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of aggravated assault using a deadly weapon. 

• Four people were sent to local hospitals May 1 after a crash near Route 83 and Gilmer Road near Long Grove. The drivers of a Chevrolet Blazer and a black sedan were seen speeding southbound on Route 83. Witnesses saw the vehicles weaving in and out of traffic. As the two drivers came up on Gilmer, the driver of the Chevrolet abruptly changed lanes in front of the black sedan, according to investigators. The rear of the Chevrolet clipped the front of the sedan, causing the Chevrolet to roll. The Chevrolet then struck two vehicles that were stopped, both facing northbound on Route 83 in the left-turn lane to head westbound on Gilmer. Those two vehicles were pushed backward into a garbage truck and a box truck.  

• In March, police arrested a driver after a road-rage incident ended in the parking lot of a middle school in Wauconda, delaying students’ dismissal. 

• Shots were fired July 16 at Burger King in Granite City. The shooting stemmed from a road-rage incident. According to police, the suspect chased the victim into the Burger King parking lot and fired at the victim’s vehicle. 

• State Police shot a suspect in February after he was involved in a road-rage incident with another driver on Interstate 55 near Lexington. 

Local law enforcement agencies and the Illinois State Police have a message for drivers when it comes to road rage: Don’t engage.

Earlier this year, the Illinois State Police launched a public awareness campaign focused on reducing incidents involving road rage that lead to violence.  

According to a AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety study, when drivers explained why they became violent, the reasons were often trivial, such as the other driver wouldn’t let them pass or they kept tailgating. Almost 80 percent of drivers in the study reported aggressive behaviors while driving, including speeding and following other vehicles too closely. Road rage is anger and frustration caused by the stress of driving in a motor vehicle, foundation officials said.

They said some of the most common signs of road rage and aggressive driving are: following too closely or tailgating; improper or erratic lane changes; illegally driving on the shoulder, ditch or median; passing where prohibited; failure to yield the right-of-way; ignoring traffic laws, signs, and devices; failure to yield to emergency personnel and construction zone speed limits; failure to signal; speeding; and making an improper turn.

The Illinois State Police campaign encourages people to follow safety tips to avoid being the victim of road rage: 

• If you are in the left lane and someone wants to pass, safely move to the right lane. 

• When merging, make sure you have plenty of room and use your turn signal. 

• If someone cuts you off, slow down and give them room to merge into your lane. 

• Safely change lanes if a speeding driver is tailgating your vehicle. 

• Making gestures might anger the other driver. Create distance and avoid confrontation. 

• Do not make eye contact if another driver is acting angrily. 

• Call 911 for police assistance if you are involved in a road-rage incident. 

• Try your best not to lose your temper, it might save your life. 

Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly welcomes the partnership with local law-enforcement agencies.

“The consequences of aggressive driving are no longer just yelling and obscene gestures, but potentially looking down the barrel of a gun,” Kelly said.

For information about the “Road Rage, Don’t Engage” safety campaign, visit the Illinois State Police at https://isp.illinois.gov/TrafficSafety/RoadRage. 

kbeese@chronicleillinois.com