(Photo credit: Payton Chung/Creative Commons)
Sometimes in the news we hear about cases of ‘road rage’. This is where a driver becomes angry enough to shout at other drivers while operating their vehicle or is event compelled to get out and threaten another driver or their passengers.
In April, one Quebec family used their minivan to block another Quebec man’s vehicle in a parking lot after he had cut them off. The situation escalated and the man allegedly approached the family’s vehicle with a chainsaw, which he revved during the incident but then eventually walked away. The mother captured a video of the incident and the Quebec man was charged with assault with a weapon in the alleged incident. He pleaded not guilty but was ordered by the court to have no contact with the alleged victims, according to CTV News.
Road rage incidents can be harrowing incidents for anyone on the receiving end of one, but there may an explanation as to why they occur.
A recent study by the St. Michael’s Hospital found that Ontario adults who have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) also reported being more likely to have serious road-related driving aggression. TBI victims also had a higher chance of being involved in a motor vehicle accident where they or another passenger were hurt.
“This data suggest links between TBI and hazardous driving behaviours, but at this early stage we can’t be sure if these relationships are causal,” said Dr. Robert Mann, senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto and co-principal investigator of the study, in a press release.
“Nevertheless, it appears that a large proportion of the driving population has experienced these injuries, so understanding how trauma to the head affects driving could have important implications for improving traffic safety.”
TBI occurs when a person suffers a head injury that results in them losing consciousness for at least five minutes or leads to overnight hospitalization. There are various situations when a TBI can happen, such as by a sudden hit to the head during a car accident or when an object pierces through the skull and causes a brain injury.
The brain plays a crucial role in our lives, whether it’s completing simple calculations or driving a car, both which require concentration and attention to details.
The results of this study show that brain injury prevention, as well as the screening and rehabilitation of drivers living with a TBI, can be used to assess whether a person is fit to drive.
“Perhaps the burden of traffic collisions and road rage could be mitigated if we were mindful of the implications associated with a brain injury,” said Dr. Gabriela Ilie, lead author of the study and a post-doctoral fellow at St. Michael’s Hospital.
TBIs have far reaching consequences as they can cause someone’s personality to completely transform. They have also been linked to depression, substance abuse and homelessness.
If you have been involved in an accident and are now coping with a brain injury, your life has changed drastically. Let Neinstein Personal Injury Lawyers be there to help. We have handled all types of injuries for over 45 years. We understand the impacts they can have on you and we can help fight your case. Call us at 416-920-4242. Set up a free consultation and come chat with us.
Greg Neinstein
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