Most of us are guilty of letting our anger take control behind the wheel. Even if you're not driving aggressively, you might yell at someone who obviously needs a driver's course refresher or can't figure out how to use a turn signal. If you really let it get to you, maybe you'll flip them the bird.

That last one got me in trouble a while back. I was driving in Killeen (which is always a gamble with your life anyway) when someone flew out of a parking lot without stopping and nearly hit me. It was a hot day, I was in a hurry to get somewhere, and it'd been a rough time at the office, so I lost my cool and gave them the one-finger salute. The person slowed down to get behind me, then followed me around town and tailgated me. Luckily for me they eventually turned off, honking and flipping me the bird in return, but it could have gone much worse.

On the 4th of July, two guys got into it in the parking lot of a Houston gas station. Road rage prompted them to stop and confront each other, after which they both drove away. Sadly, one of the man fired a shot at the other's vehicle, sparking a box of fireworks that went off in the car. The driver and his kids - ages 1 and 3 - suffered severe burns and had to be rescued from the vehicle by passerby. The suspect turned himself in Sunday.

Bayron J. Rivera - Harris County Sheriff's Office Photo
Bayron J. Rivera - Harris County Sheriff's Office Photo
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Now there's news from Alabama about another road rage incident turning into a tragedy that was 100% avoidable.

Erica Cole - Cullman County Sheriff's Office
Erica Cole - Cullman County Sheriff's Office
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KHOU shared a report from the Associated Press about Erica Cole, who's been charged with attempted murder, assault, and reckless endangerment in Cullman County, Alabama.

Police say road rage led to a confrontation at a home, during which Cole pulled a gun and tried to shoot someone. Well, she hit someone alright. She shot her husband in the head by accident.

At last report, the man was in stable condition. Still, he could be dead, and you have to wonder how Cullman feels knowing her husband almost died at her hands. You wonder if she feels the weight of what could have happened if she'd hit her target. Someone else might be hurt or dead, and for what?

I hate to sound like I'm lecturing, and I know I'm guilty of road rage too, but when you're behind the wheel, your top priority is getting yourself and any passengers you have to your next stop in once piece. Yeah it sucks when someone drives like an idiot and seems to just "get away with it", but is it worth getting into a potentially deadly situation about?

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