Transcript for What to do in a road rage situation

Back now on "Gma." A record number of people hit the road this holiday weekend, an alert about road rage. Tonight's "20/20," Eva pilgrim looks for what to do if you find yourself in a tense situation behind the wheel. Good morning, Eva. Reporter: Let's be honest. Most of us have been a little peeved while driving. It happens. Something about being behind the wheel of a car can make Normal everyday people lose it. But what makes someone go from angry to violent? You've seen the stories. Leading your local news and polluting YouTube. Just this week an 18-year-old murdered by an irate driver after she merged into his lane while driving home from the mall just outside of Philadelphia. And last week, this shocking video of an incident on a California freeway leading to a multicar crash. Call 911, Chris. Reporter: Nearly half of all drivers surveyed have experienced some form of road rage. Captain Jeff Goodwin of the Colorado state patrol is fighting the uphill battle against an army of hot tempered motorists. I used to think it was something like people cutting you off but you know, one of the things that people really get angry about if somebody honks the horn at you because you sat too long at a light. I think they literally go from the Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. Hey. Reporter: We showed the good captain Goodwin greatest hits which also provide potentially life-saving tips. Rule number one, don't make eye contact. This motorist is out of control. And this victim is doing all the right things. Just stare ahead. Don't engage. Right, yeah, the minute you engage who knows where this goes. Reporter: Rule number two, never approach the window. Wow, okay. This is more than over the top because now you have a gun involved. You never know who is packing heat. Exactly. Reporter: Most important, rule number three, you don't always have to win. That's the key when talking with law enforcement many telling us the worst times are what you would think the busy times on the road, rush hour, Fridays, often the worst because people are just over the week. Yeah, they just are ready for the weekend. You know, there's not really any type of person that's more likely to do this. No, you see all kinds of people, men, women, grandmas, grandpas, we saw men in suits duking it out in the middle of the street so everything you could imagine happening on the roadways. Just snapping like that. All right. And you can see Eva's full report on "20/20" at 10:00 P.M. Right here on ABC. Especially keeping in mind as we head into the holiday weekend. Thank you, Eva.

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