Earlier this month, a FedEx truck and a school bus were caught on video driving recklessly in a horrifying road rage incident. In the video (which you can view below), a school bus swerves into oncoming traffic to try and get around the FedEx truck. In retaliation, the FedEx truck also swerves into the oncoming lane, threatening to hit the school bus or run it off the road. The video has since gone viral.
While the school bus did not have any students on board, the bus company apparently provides transportation for many New Jersey school districts. The company released a statement saying the driver has since been fired and a FedEx spokesperson said the company is investigating the road rage incident.
Road Rage Incidents Involving Truck Drivers Can Cause Catastrophic Injuries
Road rage drivers are already terrifying by themselves. When you throw in an 80,000-pound truck, the situation can become deadly. Truck drivers face a smaller risk of harm due to the sheer size of their vehicle, but this also means they have the means to intimidate other drivers. However, the size of a semi-truck does not give the drivers the right to be bullies while out on the road.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, aggressive driving is “the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property.” This can include:
- Speeding
- Cutting off other vehicles
- Tailgating
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Driving on the wrong side of the road
- Failure to stop at stop lights or stop signs
- Obscene gestures
- Excessive horn honking
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Unsafe passing other cars
If you are driving behind any road rage driver, especially an aggressive truck driver, the best thing you can do is remain calm and refuse to engage with them. If possible, signal and change lanes to let them pass. Find a safe spot to pull over and notify local authorities that a dangerous driver is on the road right now. Describe the vehicle as best as you can. If the road rage driver follows you and pulls over, remain in your car with the windows up and the doors locked, as your car is the only thing protecting you at this point.
Spevack Law Firm is a personal injury law firm that helps those injured in truck accidents in the Iselin, Teaneck and New Brunswick areas of New Jersey. We have been providing competent, aggressive and personalized legal representation since 1928.