‘Tis the season to . . . rage?

Road rage incidents are becoming more common in North Carolina, according to a news media report. Far too often, the rage involves more than insulting gestures or shouted epithets; the incidents are increasingly turning violent.

Take for example, the story of Thomas Casey. He was recently on a Charlotte highway when another driver became enraged and began screaming and gesturing at him — before slamming his vehicle into Casey’s sedan and knocking him off of the highway.

“It really scared me,” Casey said.

The potential for serious injuries and even fatalities in that sort of irrational behavior is so obvious it scarcely needs to be mentioned.

In another recent road rage incident, the victim was not as fortunate as Casey in avoiding personal harm. On Interstate 440 in Raleigh earlier this month, a man fired four shots into a woman’s car. A 22-year-old passenger was struck by one of the bullets.

Earlier news accounts said the 22-year-old victim called police. “Oh my God, I just got shot,” she told the dispatcher.

She was hospitalized and treated for her injuries. She is recovering from her wounds, a news outlet stated.

According to WRAL, road rage incidents have tripled nationally in recent years. In our state, the problem is exploding, with up to 55,000 crashes, more than 38,000 injuries and more than 1,400 deaths attributed to “erratic, reckless and negligent driving” in between 2011 and 2015.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a road rage incident or other motor vehicle crash, you can speak with a North Carolina personal injury attorney about your legal options.