Road-rage driver who went viral over foul-mouthed rant is facing jail (2024)

A convicted road rage driver who was filmed screaming abuse at a woman motorist after she sounded her horn at him for cutting her up has been warned he faces jail.

Peter Abbott got out of his car and approached frightened Samantha Isaacs' vehicle following the minor incident outside a Tesco petrol station.

A terrified Mrs Isaacs, who runs a TV production company and has worked with Prince William and Alan Titchmarsh, locked her doors and began filming irate Abbott.

The 60-year-old banged on her windscreen with his fists before unleashing the foul-mouthed tirade.

He shouted at her 'can you f***ing see me you f***ing tart?' He then called her a 's**g' and a 'wh***' and put his head up against the windscreen.

A male motorist went to intervene and called Abbott a bully. The Good Samaritan told him 'what is wrong with you, it's a woman on her own' to which Abbott replied 'she's a f***ing bloody annoying woman'.

The footage was shown at Poole Magistrates' Court in Dorset where Abbott went on trial for using threatening words or behaviour to cause alarm, distress or fear of violence.

Peter Abbott, 60, snarled and shouted at Samantha Isaacs as she sat in her car, calling her a 'f***ing s**g' and a 'f***ing bloody annoying woman'

Mr Abbott, 60, was convicted at Poole Magistrates' Court where he was warned by a judge that he faces jail for the road rage incident outside a Tesco petrol station

A terrified Mrs Isaacs (pictured outside court), who runs a TV production company and has worked with Prince William and Alan Titchmarsh, locked her doors and began filming

He denied the offence, saying 'it's not against the law to be angry' but was found guilty of the offence.

READ MORE: Screaming motorist who banged on terrified woman driver's windscreen and called her a 's**g' in 'road rage' incident is unmasked

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Sentencing was adjourned for reports but a district judge warned Abbott that he may go to jail as it was the 'most serious' of this type of offence.

Afterwards Mrs Isaacs, who is aged in her late 50s, said: 'He's a horrible man and a bully. I didn't want it to go this far, I just don't want him to do it to anyone else.'

The road rage incident happened on August 25 last year when Mrs Isaacs was leaving the petrol station at Tesco Extra in Bournemouth, Dorset, just before lunchtime.

Abbott, who had been shopping in the main store, pulled out in front of her causing her to slam on her brakes.

The mother of three honked her horn prompting Abbott to make rude gestures at her before stopping his Toyota car and getting out.

Mrs Isaacs told the court: 'I had just pulled out and a car came out of the shopping area and completely cut me up to the point where I had to slam on my brakes so hard all my belongings came off the passenger seat onto the floor.

Mrs Isaacs was leaving the petrol station at Tesco Extra in Bournemouth, Dorset, (shown with the green arrow above) when Abbott, who had been shopping in the main store, pulled out in front of her (red arrow) causing her to slam on her brakes. Circled is a give way sign

Abbott claimed he was the victim of road rage as Mrs Isaacs had sounded her horn several times, flashed her lights at him and made a rude gesture, but the judge didn't believe him

'I beeped my horn as if to say "look out" type of thing. He turned around in the car and started gesticulating, then he got out of the car and started shouting at me.

'He said what did I think I was doing and started hitting my car and calling me a lot of names like f***ing s**g and wh***.

READ MORE:Moment screaming motorist bangs on female driver's windscreen he hurls vile abuse calling her a 's**g' in 'road rage' incident sparking massive traffic queue outside petrol station

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'He was banging with both his fists on the windscreen and my door. I was frightened so I started videoing it.

'I wanted to show him I was recording everything to make him stop. I had locked my doors, I wasn't getting out of my car.

'I didn't think he was going to kill me or anything but this was escalating and I wanted to have it on camera. I felt unsafe.

'I would have thought after it being such a long time ago I would be okay, but it's still not very nice to watch [the video].

'He drove out into the road and stopped the car again. When we turned left at the traffic lights he stopped the car again. I overtook him and then realised how stupid it was because I realised that meant he was following me. That's when I phoned the police.'

District judge Orla Austin asked Mrs Isaacs what the long-term impact had been. She said: 'Whenever I am in the car on my own I always keep the doors locked, I have made sure my dashcam works.

'I work in television, predominantly in London, and my daughter has had to take on more of my work because I don't want to drive.

'Everyone seems to be so aggressive on the roads these days, I don't want to be put in this position again.'

The court heard Abbott was identified as the registered keeper of the Toyota involved in the road rage and was interviewed by police in October.

He claimed he was in fact the victim of road rage as Mrs Isaacs had sounded her horn several times, flashed her lights at him and made a rude gesture.

He told the court: 'The origin of this incident was the behaviour of the witness. Despite what she has said on oath in this court, she didn't just sound her horn once, she sounded it several times and flashed her lights, which I deem road rage.

'I believed there was enough space so I pulled out. I looked at her in my rear view mirror, she was flashing her lights and sounding her horn and making a rude gesture at me.

He shouted at her 'can you f**king see me you f***ing tart?' He then called her a 's**g' and a 'wh***' and put his head up against the windscreen

The 60-year-old banged on her windscreen with his fists before unleashing the foul-mouthed tirade

'Rightly or wrongly I am the type of person if someone behaves like that to me I will want to say something, I will call them out on it. I will do it with anyone, whatever gender, size or age they are.

'I do not like people filming other people without their permission, I think it's a violation of their privacy.

'The reason why the incident didn't just stop there is that I didn't see any distress whatsoever, what I saw was her laughing at me and filming me after I asked her to stop. It was not a nervous laugh, it was a goading laugh.

'Anger is not a rational function. I regret my behaviour but there's a number of statements I contest.'

Shami Duggal, prosecuting, said: 'In the footage you were being extremely verbally abusive, threatening and intimidating.

'That wasn't reasonable behaviour was it?'

Abbott replied: 'No I would agree, but it wasn't without cause. It's not against the law to be angry.'

Judge Orla Austin said she found Mrs Isaacs an 'entirely credible witness' and found Abbott guilty.

She said: 'It is very clear to me from the footage that he was banging on her car. The level of anger was extremely high.

'I don't believe you, I find you did all those things and were entirely threatening. The anger was out of all proportion to the incident.

'Your intention was to cause her harassment, alarm and distress. She was on her own, you repeatedly targeted her, it was sustained abuse and had a significant effect on her.'

She warned Abbott, of Bournemouth, that he faces imprisonment as the incident was the 'most serious' of this type of offence and he had put the victim through a trial despite 'overwhelming evidence'.

Sentencing was adjourned until later this month for probation to assess Abbott.

Road-rage driver who went viral over foul-mouthed rant is facing jail (2024)

FAQs

What is the meaning of road rage in a sentence? ›

uncountable noun. Road rage is anger or violent behavior caused by someone else's bad driving or the stress of being in heavy traffic. Two women were being hunted by police after a road rage attack on a male motorist. French Translation of. 'road rage'

How road rage affects a driver by answer? ›

Final answer:

Road rage negatively affects a driver by leading to impaired judgment, decreased reaction time, and an increased chance of traffic incidents, thereby reducing the driver's control over the vehicle.

Is road rage a criminal offense True or false? ›

While Road Rage isn't a crime, there are several crimes that typically arise from Road Rage incidents, depending on the circ*mstances: Assault (California Penal Code 240) - Assault or Simple Assault is an illegal attempt, coupled with a present ability, to commit violent injury against another.

What should you do when confronted by road rage? ›

When you do, take the following actions to avoid or minimize conflict.
  1. Let the other driver pass. Road rage drivers are usually in a hurry, so get out of their way without engaging. ...
  2. Don't make eye contact. ...
  3. Contact authorities. ...
  4. Don't go home or find a safe place to stop.

What is a sentence for rage? ›

Examples of rage in a Sentence

Noun Her note to him was full of rage. He was shaking with rage. She was seized by a murderous rage.

What are 3 examples of road rage? ›

Examples of road rage are:
  • Cursing and rude or obscene gestures.
  • Throwing objects.
  • Ramming.
  • Sideswiping.
  • Forcing a driver off the road.

What is the most common group of drivers who commit road rage? ›

Young men and those who abuse alcohol and drugs are more likely to experience road rage. Angry drivers take more risks on the road, including speeding 10-20 miles per hour over the speed limit, rapidly switching lanes, tailgating and running red lights.

What happens if you road rage? ›

Drivers arrested for road rage can face civil and criminal charges in California. Under the civil law procedure, the Department of Motor Vehicle can suspend the liable party's license as follows: Up to six months for the first offense. Up to one year for a subsequent offense.

How many road rage deaths per year? ›

Road rage, commonly characterized by aggressive driving, is a factor in more than 50% of all car crashes that end in fatality, according to the AAA. In fact, in a separate years-long study, road rage episodes resulted in about 30 deaths and 1,800 injuries per year.

Does a road rage conviction go on your criminal record? ›

Road rage convictions go on your criminal record and can result in long-term consequences for your life. It may affect your chances of obtaining a job or a state license, as potential employers may consider your record when conducting background checks.

Is road rage physical abuse? ›

The term 'road rage' can refer to any display of aggression by a driver, but is often used to refer to the more extreme acts of such aggression, like physical assault.

How can an act of road rage fall under both criminal law and civil law? ›

Road rage amounts to assault and battery. Both are intentional acts. Also, they are both civil and criminal matters. In case you are injured in a road rage incident, you can use your medical bills and medical reports to seek damages in a civil lawsuit.

How do I get out of road rage? ›

How to Manage Road Rage
  1. Listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks. Music can subtly color your experiences, adding an exciting soundtrack to your commute. ...
  2. Practice progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and deep muscle relaxation (DMR). ...
  3. Use cognitive-behavioral interventions like Counting Idiots.
Oct 24, 2023

Should you respond to road rage? ›

It's important to remember that the other driver is likely experiencing a high level of anger and frustration, and responding in kind will only fuel their rage. By remaining calm and avoiding confrontation, you can help to defuse the situation and reduce the risk of an accident or injury.

Should you fight in road rage? ›

If you can't escape and you're forced to fight someone like an aggressive driver, then you're forced to defend yourself.” Let the angry driver pass. You can avoid road rage or reduce the chance that anger will grow by putting distance between yourself and the other driver.

What is the meaning of road rage? ›

Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior exhibited by motorists. These behaviors include rude and verbal insults, yelling, physical threats or dangerous driving methods targeted at other drivers, pedestrians or cyclists in an effort to intimidate or release frustration.

What is the legal definition of road rage? ›

In terms of road accidents, road rage is referred to as “Aggressive driving.” NHTSA defines it as an individual committing a combination of moving offenses that puts other persons and properties around him/her in danger.

What is the most common form of road rage? ›

10 Most Common Forms of Road Rage
  • Tailgating.
  • Yelling.
  • Honking in frustration.
  • Making angry gestures.
  • Trying to block another vehicle from changing lanes.
  • Cutting off another vehicle on purpose.
  • Exiting the vehicle to confront another driver.
  • Bumping or hitting another vehicle intentionally.
Sep 19, 2018

Is road rage good or bad? ›

Road rage impacts your driving skills and judgment as you operate your vehicle with less attention to the people and things around youWhen anger takes over, logical thinking takes a backseat. This emotional hijacking can cause drivers to make impulsive and hazardous decisions, leading to: Traffic violations.

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