• U.S.

Almost 80% of American Drivers Engaged in an Act of Road Rage Last Year

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The pains of driving turned into road rage for nearly four in five U.S. drivers last year, according to new research.

The study, conducted by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, found that around 8 million drivers took part in “extreme examples of road rage,” things like purposefully hitting another vehicle or getting out of the car in anger.

“It’s completely normal for drivers to experience anger behind the wheel,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research in a press release. “But we must not let our emotions lead to destructive choices.”

Traffic accidents kill nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. every year. That number rose last year following an increase in driving correlated with low gas prices.

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Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com