Threat of road rage lingers in North Texas after recent shootings
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Violent crimes in Dallas are down this year compared with 2022, but the threat of road rage lingers in North Texas.
Driving the news: At least three people have died in suspected road rage shootings across the region since March.
Why it matters: Violent crime in many cities spikes in the summer, a trend that many researchers attribute to aggression exacerbated by heat, per Forbes.
- Nearly 40% of all road rage shootings happen during the summer, Dallas police say.
Threat level: Texas is one of the top states for road rage shootings. Road rage also includes obscene gestures, cursing, sideswiping and forcing another driver off the road.
Plus: Texas is a permitless carry state that allows people over 21 to have a gun without a license. It's also legal to have a gun in your car.
But, but, but: Violent crimes in Dallas since January are down by almost 13% compared with the same time period last year, per Dallas police records.
- Reports of road rage were also down as of May 3, the latest records police have since the ransomware attack on the city's network.
- Road rage offenses between Jan. 1 and May 3 were 26% lower than during the same period last year, and aggravated assaults tied to road rage were 28% lower, per Dallas police.
Details: In March, a mother of four was killed while driving with a friend on I-30 in Dallas.
- In April, a 16-year-old boy was fatally shot in Dallas while in a vehicle that reportedly damaged another car's side mirror.
- Last month, a postal service officer helped state troopers arrest a driver accused of pulling a gun on another driver on President George Bush Turnpike in Collin County.
- And this week, a 37-year-old woman was killed while driving to work with her husband on Loop 820 in Hurst.
Of note: Police are still looking for suspects in the road rage deaths.
The bottom line: Road rage is real, and it can happen anywhere.
- Here are some tips from a past Axios Dallas newsletter on how to drive safely in North Texas.