The rise of “road rage” incidents is a further indication of how our society has deteriorated and how much worse it could become.

In Milwaukee, a father of 12 recently was beaten to within an inch of his life when he simply honked the horn while trying to maneuver through a congested area. Details are sketchy, but it is estimated at least 15 young people engulfed his car, beat him senseless, showing shocking mob savagery in retaliation for the perceived insult.

Better be careful how you react anymore to someone whose driving might displease or even endanger you and your passengers. There was a time when a simple beep of a horn was an acceptable way to alert some discourteous or inattentive drivers. Then came the gestures from one driver to another and perhaps the exchange of dirty looks or shouted insults.

It wasn’t too long before drivers began to cut each other off or try to run an alleged adversary off the road. A good many confrontations began to occur on off- and on-ramps of big highways, such as the freeways California.

Then reactions began to get more violent. Some drivers chose to brandish knives and firearms as threats. It wasn’t long before they began to wield those devices to harm others. People were hurt and died, and the road rage violence kept escalating. Some drivers, it is obvious, are spoiling for some kind of squabble. It clearly seems to be getting worse.

In Milwaukee, a driver was merely trying to get through an area and dared to sound his horn. It was so easy, it seems, for the crowd to react as violently as it did. And pity the police who have to try to find out who did what. Mobs have a depressing way of covering up for each other.

Keeping a low profile while operating a motor vehicle these days seems to be the best approach, considering how many hotheads are in our midst. Sure, you should be able to sound your horn in certain situations without retaliation, and even give less-than-palatable glances toward those who are out of line.

But be sure to carefully size up the situation before you take any action because in our modern, mechanized “civilization” you may well get far more than you bargain for. It is worth a beating, shooting or stabbing to show some other driver you are perturbed?