In a September 2025 AAA report, 92% of drivers reported experiencing aggressive behaviors that put others at risk, such as speeding or cutting off other vehicles. The same study also revealed a distinct rise in road rage crashes in recent years, with nearly 900 incidents reported between 2021 and 2023.
These statistics indicate that the roads are becoming more commonplace for Americans and Bay Staters alike. With this in mind, let’s examine whether road rage is a crime and what the legal consequences could be for you or someone you know who has been involved in one of these incidents.
What Is Road Rage?
Road rage can be defined as aggressive driving or intentionally violent behaviors exhibited by a driver of a motor vehicle toward other drivers or onlookers. This can include, but is not limited to, tailgating, verbal threats or gestures, physical threats, braking hard without warning, and aggressive driving maneuvers, sideswiping another vehicle, brandishing or using a weapon, or forcing a car off the road.
In Massachusetts, aggressive driving such as this can lead to charges such as Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Assault, Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon (the car), or even vehicular assault or homicide if serious injury or death occurs.
What Is Negligent Operation of a Vehicle?
What most of us call road rage could be charged in court as Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle or Assault and Battery with a Dangerous weapon, depending on the circumstances.
The charge of Negligent Operation of a Vehicle simply means that the vehicle’s operator did not drive in a safe manner. This could encompass a range of behaviors, including speeding, not using a hands-free device, swerving in and out of traffic, cutting off other drivers, and aggressive driving, among other things.
Consequences for Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle
According to Massachusetts State Law 90 § 24(a), many consequences result from these crimes, including jail time, fines, and loss or suspension of license.
The charge of Negligent Operation of a Motor Vehicle could result in imprisonment of up to two years, loss of license for 60 days and a number of fines. A charge of Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle means that the driver was careless and disregarded the safety of others in their manner of driving, leading to suspension of license and/or fines depending on the specific circumstances.
To be convicted under this statute, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must prove that the driver: operated a motor vehicle, in a place to which the public has a right of access and did so recklessly or negligently so that the lives or safety of the public might be endangered.
If you have been charged with Negligent Operation or Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle, talk to our team at the Law Office of Patrick Conway. We are ready to support your legal needs.