DeKALB – Getting brake checked, tailgating or cutting someone off in the left lane. An epidemic of aggressive driving, known as “road rage,” has infected drivers all over the U.S. and Illinois is campaigning against it.

“Road Rage. Don’t Engage” is the Illinois State Police’s newest campaign toward preventing aggressive driving habits on Illinois roads.

The ISP defines road rage as driving a vehicle in an aggressive manner that could endanger the safety or property of another driver, motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian according to its website. A distinctive difference is that while aggressive driving may lead to a traffic violation, road rage incidents often lead to criminal offenses.

ISP Director Brendan Kelly said the rise in road rage incidents has led to more promotions focused toward de-escalating confrontations.

“The message is simple – if you see or become part of a road rage situation, don’t engage,” Kelly said. “That extra car length you gain by cutting someone off, or arriving 10 seconds earlier by tailgating another person, is not worth your life.”

The ISP’s campaign will include educating the public on the signs of road rage and sharing tips on how to prevent a situation. Additionally, promotional materials will appear on billboards and radio ads and are encouraged to be posted on local departments’ social media.

One graphic from the promotional kit shows a handgun in a driver’s passenger seat with the caption, “Road rage is more dangerous than you think.” 

In 2022, road rage was reported in approximately 40% of Chicago area expressway shootings handled by ISP, according to a press release from the ISP in March 2023.

DeKalb Police Department Commander Steve Lekkas said the department sees three to four road-related incidents a week, but aggressive driving only factors into a few of them.

“I mean, it could even be a traffic crash or, like I said, disorderly conduct, just like people just calling us right to say that people are being really aggressive,” Lekkas said.

Lekkas said just seeing an officer or a police car on the road leads to cars driving safer. But when an incident occurs, officers are also trained to break it up.

“We have tons of de-escalation training,” Lekkas said. “We typically separate the parties involved, typically give them a moment to separate themselves and deal with the priorities first. We always make sure they get treated.”

The ISP encourages drivers to avoid confrontations by creating distance between other drivers on the road and being courteous of cars merging or changing lanes.

If a person finds themself a victim of a road rage incident and believes they’re being followed or harassed, Lekkas said going toward a police department or calling 911 is recommended.

“What we often tell people when they feel like they’re being followed, is just start driving towards the police department,” Lekkas said. “This way they’re more likely to turn away, than if you pull off the road and wait for an officer.”

For more information about the campaign, people can visit the ISP website.