I was a victim of road rage last Sunday morning when I took Mini-Dazs to Sunderland.
It started on the A34 which is dual carriageway. I was in the outside lane, in cruise control, overtaking slower moving traffic. I spotted a guy in a 4X4 and he was some way behind a lorry. He was traveling faster than the lorry, but slower than me. I carried on thinking he needed to move over now or he’d have to slow down for the lorry whilst I went past. He didn’t pull over or indicate so I continued at my fixed speed. I got along side his rear door; he indicated and pulled over into my lane. I had to slam the breaks on and honked my horn at him to let him know I was there. He honked back and gesticulated at me and I could see he was real angry, clearly blaming me for being in his way when HE wanted to overtake.
He chased me off the A34, down the slip road on to the M4, and he was up my bumper so much I couldn't read him number plate (great at 65-70). Then on the M40 he nearly rear ended me, pulling past at the last minute. I flipped him the bird, not looking at him and just shook my head. He cut in front of me nearly knocking the front of my car and then sped off.
A few miles later there was a traffic cop, so everyone was behaving doing the obligatory 70-75 whilst going past. We both went past the copper and then when we were on a clear stretch (this was 7.15 on Sunday morning) he slowed down. We were both on the inside lane. I was in cruise control, so I signaled, made sure the middle lane was clear and went to overtake. As my front nearside wing was level with his offside rear wing, he pulled over hard into the middle lane where I was, forcing me onto the outside lane. I knew the road was clear because I’d been aware of what traffic was about – none. He then continued traveling – bearing in mind we were side by side and he was in the outside lane, pretty much and I was on part of the central reservation. I slowed right down, and started to pull back into the middle lane to get away from him. He wasn’t having any of this. He followed me, staying along side me now on my right, forcing me to drive on to the hard shoulder.
At this point I put my headset on and got Jaye to dial 999 for me. She was crying and very upset and scared, as was I.
I'm not sure of the chain of events after that, because I was too busy focusing on where he was and what was happening and I was talking to the 999 operator. I think we came to some light traffic and he ended up being behind me. I remember being in the middle lane again and there was hardly any traffic about and he was in the middle lane coming up rapidly behind me. I was reading his number plate and my daughter had my phone open on view so he could see we were on the phone. I was able to give his reg number from my rear view mirror and she asked what make and model. As he overtook me, I was in the middle lane and he was in the outside lane I read the model and gave the colour. He then tried to slam into me and again forced me to have to break suddenly to avoid being hit. I screamed, my daughter was crying and the operator told me to slow right down and let him get away. I did this and off he sped after 4 times literally trying to force me off the road.
This was all beyond normal road rage. It was scary and could’ve ended very badly.
I spoke with a very kind copper from here (you know who you are and thanks a lot for the advice
) and he gave me a few suggestions as to what to do next. I got the URN number for the incident and yesterday I popped to the local police station. A sergeant came out to talk to me. He gave me three options. To press formal charges, but the chances are the CPS would do nothing because it’s his word against mine and there were no formal witnesses. I could nothing and just forget about it or they could call the guy up and talk to him about it. The chances are he’d deny it and say it was all me etc etc.
I went for the last option, thinking that it may, just may, make him stop and think from doing it again. Because the next time the victim may not be so lucky.
But it grates. What this guy did was dangerous and beyond normal road rage. I know I’ll get comments like it was my fault, I should’ve just let him in, even though I had to do an emergency stop at 70+mph. With regard to what happened on the M40 I did nothing to antagonize him. He just took offense to me tooting my horn at him.
I just wish there was a way round this? Even though I was on the phone to 999 at the time, if he’d clipped me, I’d have rolled and Jaye and I may have become history, because there were no witnesses does that mean he’d have got away with killing us????
This guy tried to force us off the road at speed and he’s got away with it.
Rant over, time to move on, etc etc etc. Just be careful out there because there’s some pretty nasty people in the world.
Oh, and the most unbelievable thing about the whole episode? He was in his fifties AND his wife was in the car with him, looking straight ahead with her nose in the air. He drove like that at his age, knowing there was a child in my car AND with his wife in the car.
I hope it wasn't one of you or your parents???
