The phenomenon of road rage has apparently migrated to the water, with reports of aggressive and threatening behavior between boaters increasing at recreational waterways across the country in a trend that safety advocates are calling boat rage. The situations that trigger boat rage are often analogous to those that produce road rage on highways — disputes over right of way, wake disturbance, crowding at popular anchorages, and general impatience in congested waterway traffic. Unlike road rage, which unfolds in the presence of traffic cameras and law enforcement patrol vehicles, boat rage frequently occurs in areas where oversight is minimal and outcomes are harder to document.
The US Coast Guard and state boating safety agencies have noted an uptick in complaints related to aggressive behavior on the water and have been working to increase enforcement presence at popular recreational boating destinations during peak season. Unlike motor vehicle confrontations where the vehicles themselves are the primary weapons of concern, boating confrontations can involve additional hazards including drowning risk and the presence of people in the water who have no means of escape from an aggressive vessel. Boating safety advocates recommend the same de-escalation approach for waterway confrontations that traffic safety experts recommend for road rage situations: disengage, increase distance, and contact authorities.
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