“I think sometimes the presence of a weapon in vicinity of a driver gives them reason to act in a manner in which they would ordinarily not act were it for the gun.”
Well, if you mean they may get to act as an EMT prop I agree with you.
Let me put it this way from a personal experience. I was in a disabled vehicle with my family when some nutcase came up to the car and began banging on my driver’s side window with a force that could easily have broken it. For some reason he wanted to get at me. I was not a physical match for him nor in a position to do anything being constrained in the car. I pulled out my near by pistol, pointed at him and he stopped. Since he left, I did not shoot him but would have had he broken that window. Had I not had the pistol, more than likely I would have been riding on a gurney. This was in non gun state California, I did not have a permit, and had I shot the SOB probably would have gone to the pokey. However, I would rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6 and IMO the pistol saved me and my family from a disaster. So I don’t cede your point about the availability of a firearm.
I certainly wasn’t talking about the kind of situation you describe. I think there are cases that the presence of a weapon causes bravado and daring that is unnecessary; if the reporting is accurate, the driver could have just gone about his business and then left.