# How far can I legally defend myself against a Road Rager?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 29, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823 "2024-01-29T16:37:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2024, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823/41 "2024-02-07T06:19:39Z")
I don’t advocate anyone doing what I would do.
They have to make that choice.
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### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2024, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823/42 "2024-02-07T08:08:59Z")
Wha…? Are we still on this?
And yes you did.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2024, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823/43 "2024-02-07T08:55:58Z")
I just had seen your post.
If I did that, it wasn’t my intention.
The person who is attacked needs to know their own state, county or cities laws.
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### Author:  [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2024, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823/44 "2024-02-07T14:41:21Z")
I suppose the one mitigating factor on road rage self defence is that your only avenue of escape - out the door - is being blocked by the (irate and threatening) other person. The only question is whether you can drive away without hurting anyone.
Otherwise, it boils down the the same simple issue as any other self-defence case: can you convince the prosecutor, or failing that, the jury, that you had grounds for the level of self-defence you used? You better be the frail 80yo old lady facing a 25yo beefy guy if you expect the police to shrug and walk away after you severely injure or kill someone. (Yes, even then they won’t).
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823/45 "2024-02-07T14:49:07Z")
Here’s a bit more about that road rage incident. The shooter had charges dropped against him.
> **[Indiana Court Drops Charges Against Driver Who Shot At Road Rage Attacker And...](https://www.carscoops.com/2023/12/indiana-court-drops-charges-against-driver-who-shot-at-road-rage-attacker-and-hit-bystander/)**
>
> Before the court ruling, the shooter faced harsher charges despite what appeared to be self defense
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### Author:  [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2024, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823/46 "2024-02-09T23:31:31Z")
That article claims that the guy who got shot “punched out the window”. That implies he used a bare hand. Was it more likely he “smashed the window”, using a club or something?
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2024, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823/47 "2024-02-09T23:35:28Z")
It’s possible. This guy took two punches, but he did it:
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRbVeKpX-U4)
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2024, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823/48 "2024-02-09T23:46:44Z")
If you really wanna see some crap video. Watch some Cart narcs/Cart Karens.
They antagonise drivers on purpose. Some get beat up.
They seem like like the good guys. But are they?
Who’s gonna get in trouble when LE is called?
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### Author:  [@Ulysses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulysses)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2024, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-i-legally-defend-myself-against-a-road-rager/996823/49 "2024-02-11T17:41:23Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> Who’s gonna get in trouble when LE is called?
Depends on the facts of the case and the laws of the jurisdiction. But having now watched a few of those videos (ok, more than a few, thanks for the rabbit hole btw 🤪), my general take is that we have a problem with petty vigilante justice on our roads and in our parking lots in America. Much like drivers who do things like try to block people from lawfully merging who should “wait their turn,” or confronts and chews out another driver, anyone who patrols a commercial parking lot to confront people who don’t return their carts is just exacerbating a problem.
Some of it is of course driven by social media. A cart narc could simply return a misplaced shopping cart with less effort than it takes to confront the “offender.” But they’re not so much concerned with enforcing some social expectation as they are with capturing a dramatic confrontation to post online for clicks. Frankly, my advice to a commercial client would be warn, then trespass if necessary, any self appointed cart narcs given the risk of liability and harm to the business reputation.
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