KSP records 549 road rage dispatch calls in Bowling Green this year so far

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Whether it’s morning, afternoon or night, drivers are constantly traveling the roadways in south-central Kentucky on their own route.

In traffic, emotions can be high as everyone races to their destination in time, but for some, road rage becomes a first reaction in the instance of a simple driving mistake.

“Throw your fit in your car, that way it’s you safe and others safe around you, but road rage has gotten really bad. We’ve been getting calls about it all the time,” said Trooper Katan Parker with the Kentucky State Police.

He said KSP has recorded 549 road rage phone calls in Bowling Green in 2026 alone.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re going, you’re still going to run into people who can handle traffic as well as others can,” he said.

In 2024, the Kentucky General Assembly passed the law KRS 189.290 and, in that law, it states:

– A person shall not operate any vehicle in a reckless or negligent manner as to endanger persons or property in or near a highway, or in or near a highway work zone. 

This law prohibits aggressive driving. Parker said it’s best to avoid those kinds of drivers.

“Whenever you figure that out by their body language and by how their vehicle is moving because sometimes people are jerking their steering wheel, the first thing they should do is try to avoid them,” he said.

The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety declares the following as aggressive driving; 

• Running stop signs and red lights
• Speeding
• Tailgating
• Weaving in-and-out of traffic
• Making hand and facial gestures
• Making verbal threats
• Screaming, honking and flashing lights.

Parker said if you experience these, call emergency services if you feel unsafe.

“If you can’t avoid them, which in most cases you can, give us a call,” he said.

The Kentucky Office of Highway Safety says to ignore offensive language, safely get out of their way and remain in your seat belt, which is also a law.

If you feel like you’re going to respond, trooper parker says to think first.

“The best thing to do is take a few deep breaths, try to keep going and avoid that person at the same time,” Parker said.