New Everytown Report Finds Someone Was Wounded or Killed in a Road Rage Shooting Every 18 Hours on Average in 2023

As Americans Take to the Road for the Holidays, New Report Sheds Light on Road Rage Shooting Rates and Preventative Measures 

States with Permitless Carry Have Nearly Triple the Rate of Road Rage Shootings Than States with the Most Protective Standards

NEW YORK – Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund today released a new report which found that the number of road rage shootings remains much higher than pre-pandemic rates, despite a downward trend in national violent crime rates. Everytown’s analysis, which draws on data from the Gun Violence Archive, shows that in 2023, 483 people were shot in road rage incidents, resulting in 118 deaths and 365 injuries. The staggering number of incidents in 2023 translates to a person being either wounded or killed in a road rage shooting every 18 hours on average. 

States that did not require a concealed carry permit in 2023 had nearly triple the rate of road rage shooting victimizations than states with the most protective standards. The southern United States, with weaker gun laws on average than the nation, saw the highest rates of victimization from road rage shootings, more than double those in the Northeast. 

“Experiencing aggressive driving is not uncommon, and happens in every country. But only in the United States can the presence of a gun turn an unpleasant few minutes in the car into a life-threatening incident,” said Sarah Burd-Sharps, Senior Director of Research at Everytown for Gun Safety. “Legislation that makes it easier and more likely for people to bring their gun into their car means loaded guns are readily available in tense situations. Our research strongly suggests that requiring a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public can help protect our communities from road rage shootings.”

“The data is clear: In states that do not require a permit, drivers run a greater risk of getting shot when they get behind the wheel,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “Just as new drivers need a permit to drive, drivers should need a permit to carry a concealed weapon in their car.”

“Road rage should never escalate into getting shot, but in America, weak gun laws turn everyday frustrations into tragedies,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “States that require permits for concealed carry are proving that common sense laws save lives, and there’s no excuse for other lawmakers not to follow their lead.”

Key findings from the report include:

• In 2018, over 200 people were shot and killed or wounded in a road rage incident; by 2023, those numbers had doubled. These incidents translate to a person being shot in a road rage incident in 2023 every 18 hours.

• There was an 11 percent decline in road rage shootings from 2022 to 2023, but they continue to occur with a frequency much higher than before the pandemic. This is especially notable as overall violent crime has trended downward for the past two and a half years, according to nearly every major data source.

• While nearly every state in the country saw at least one victim from a road rage shooting in 2023, a significant disparity exists between states.
  • New Mexico, Arizona, Tennessee, Colorado, and Wisconsin, the five states with the highest rate of people shot in road rage incidents, make up only 8 percent of the U.S. population but saw 20 percent of road rage shooting victims.
  • According to the report, nine northeastern states have both the lowest rates of victimization from road rage shootings and overall stronger gun laws than much of the nation.

A separate national study found that motorists in a vehicle with a gun were more likely to behave rudely or aggressively and to exhibit road rage—making obscene gestures, cutting off other cars, or engaging in other dangerous driving behavior. In the United States, it is legal to carry a concealed handgun in public in all 50 states. However, 21 states require a person to have a permit to carry a loaded, concealed handgun in public and 25 states completely eliminated their concealed carry permit requirement between 2015 and 2023 – often over the objection of law enforcement. 

Although standards and processes vary, state concealed carry permit requirements often require applicants to pass a criminal background check, complete safety training, complete live-fire shooting exercises, and be a resident of the state. Many of these states also give law enforcement the authority to deny permits to people who pose a danger to the public. These laws promote responsible gun ownership and ensure core public safety standards are preserved when people carry concealed guns in public places.

While more research on road rage shootings is needed, one thing is clear: gun safety policies — particularly those that require a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public — protect our communities from road rage shootings. As road rage shootings remain stubbornly high, action from policymakers to prevent gun violence is more urgent than ever.