‘Cars used as weapons: 10pc surge in Qld road rage since 2020

Queensland motorists report a 10 per cent rise in road rage since 2020 as a law firm warns drivers are using their cars as weapons. SEE THE VIDEO

More Queensland drivers are getting aggressive behind the wheel, triggering an alarming number of people to carry weapons when they drive, according to unsettling new data.

RACQ’s Annual Road Safety Survey shows 84 per cent of people think road rage is getting worse, up 10 per cent since 2020.

The confronting scenes have concerningly led to 7.6 per cent of people admitting they carry a weapon in their car, up from 4.8 per cent last year.

Even more drivers were using their car as a weapon on the road, with RACQ road safety and technical manager Joel Tucker saying the most common aggressive road behaviour was tailgating, followed by horn use and hand signals.

“We are also seeing an increase in people admitting to aggressive behaviours,” Mr Tucker said.

“More than 20 per cent of motorists have verbally abused other drivers or tailgated, 16.4 per cent have suddenly swerved or braked and 13.6 per cent admitted to cutting in front of someone and slowing down.”

Caboolture driver Emma Evans said she was injured and left traumatised after a terrifying incident on the Bruce Highway.

Road rage victim Emma Evans (right) with Shine Lawyers Caboolture legal practice manager Carla Melbourne. Picture: John Gass

Ms Evans was travelling along the Bruce Highway on her way back from the Gold Coast when the driver of a white Toyota utility began to tailgate her.

She said the ute swerved toward her car multiple times while travelling at 100km/h.

“We were just driving down the highway, and the vehicle literally came up out of nowhere and I was sitting on 100 because we were still on the Bruce Highway, and next minute he was at my door,” Ms Evans said.

In footage obtained by The Courier-Mail the white Toyota can be seen travelling with Ms Evans for some time, tailgating for a distance and finally speeding off down the Caboolture exit.

“There were only half a dozen cars on the road. It wasn’t peak-hour traffic. There were times where he could’ve left me alone,” Ms Evans said.

“My partner was trying to help me control my car, without him I probably would’ve rolled my car.”

Ms Evans said the ordeal lasted more than half an hour, and left her physically sick once she was able to safely pull over.

A year later Ms Evans has since been left with both emotional and physical scars from the targeted attack.

Damage to Emma Evans’ car in the road rage incident

Damage to Emma Evans’ car in the road rage incident

“I hit my shoulder on the steering wheel and I’ve had to have shoulder surgery and I have no movement at the moment,” she said.

“It’s been nearly a month and my Doctor told me he isn’t sure I’ll be able to return back to my normal duties.

“My partner has to warn me if a car’s coming up beside me or a motorbike because I get very scared in the car. My anxiety is really bad when I’m in the car.”

Personal injury firm Shine Lawyers has seen an uptick in reports of road rage.

Compensation lawyer Carla Melbourne said such incidents were intimidatory.

“These sorts of behaviour that we’re talking about, we’re talking about people bullying people on the roads, people intimidating people, people deliberately causing people psychologic anguish and then using that vehicle as a weapon,” Ms Melbourne said.

“We’ve seen an increase in road rage incidents on their own, like this one, and also people sort of taking the law into their own hands following incidents as well and that is just causing more damage.”

Police said they were continuing to investigate the hit and run incident in Caboolture last year.

“The Toyota HiLux was then witnessed driving dangerously in front of the Toyota C-HR before leaving the scene near Exit 152,” a Queensland Police spokesman said.

Any witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam vision is urged to contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 3333 000.

Originally published as ‘Cars used as weapons: 10pc surge in Qld road rage since 2020