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Aggressive Driving
What is aggressive driving?
Who's an aggressive driver?
How big is the aggressive driving problem?
What is the law?
Road age is as Old as Automobiles...
Don't be a Victim of Aggressive Driving
Road Rage Quiz
What is aggressive driving?
Aggressive driving is often given the old "I know it when I see it" definition, however, it needs to be defined to be targeted and reduced. Aggressive driving is defined as any behind-the-wheel behavior that places another person (or people) and/or property in danger through willful action without regard to safety. Aggressive driving can range from risky behavior to that which escalates to serious violence. Common driving behaviors include: tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, passing on the shoulder, speeding, cutting off traffic, honking, yelling, flashing headlights and using inappropriate gestures. In the extreme, it can include bumping or ramming another vehicle or brandishing weapons.
Who’s an aggressive driver?
The majority of these incidents involve men between the ages of 18 and 26. However, the number of aggressive women drivers is on the rise. There is also a general increase of women on the roadways at higher risk times, such as rush hour and at night.
How big is the aggressive driving problem?
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety studied more than 10,000 incidents of violent, aggressive driving between 1990 and 1996, it found that at least 218 people were killed and another 12,610 injured when drivers got angry. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) blames nearly 28,000 of the 41,907 people killed in highway crashes in 1996 on road rage.
In Colorado during 2001, there were a total of 17,874 crashes caused by drivers with these aggressive driving behaviors. That was an increase of 1.2% from the previous year. In 2001 in Colorado, there were a total of 95,594 citations issued by drivers with these aggressive driving behaviors. *Colorado State Patrol
What’s the law?
Aggressive driving is most commonly charged under the reckless driving statute, but if the driving behavior escalates it can result in a variety of other safety citations and criminal charges. In 1998, Arizona became the first state to enact a law making aggressive driving a crime. Nearly 17 states have considered road rage legislation (Colorado legislators considered and rejected several pieces of Aggressive Driving legislation in the 2001 Session) and some communities have adopted special ordinances that specifically target aggressive driving. For example, Douglas County, Colorado has an ordinance that allows officers to double the fine, if they determine the offense is an aggressive driving violation.
Road Rage is As Old As Automobiles...
Aggressive driving isn’t anything new. Here are some newspaper quotes that show hostile driving is more a state of mind than a sign of the times:
1915: "Some automobilists…run over the rights of others."
1954: "He runs through red lights or jumps the gun before the light has turned green…cuts in and out, races, and gets ahead of everybody else."
1978: "People are beginning to lose control…they get frustrated at the stack-ups on our freeways, they get angry at other inconsiderate drivers, their tolerance level overflows. They explode."
1979: "Angry motorists are using tons of speeding metal as deadly weapons."
1988: "Polite drivers are becoming as rare as rain in August."
(*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Status Report, Dec. 5, 1998).
Don't be a Victim of Aggressive Driving
The best offense against aggressive driving is a good defense.
Cutting-off. When you merge, make sure you have plenty of room. Use turn signals before making your move. If you make a mistake, apologize with an appropriate gesture. If someone cuts you off, slow down and give them room to merge.
Driving slowly in the left lane. Even if you are traveling at the speed limit, if someone wants to pass, move over to the right lane and let them by.
Tailgating. Allow at least two seconds between you and the car ahead. If you think another car is driving too slowly and you are unable to pass, pull back and allow more space, not less. You should be able to see the headlights of the car behind you in your rear-view mirror.
Gestures. Keep your hands on the wheel. Avoid making a gesture that might anger another driver, even seemingly harmless ones, like shaking your head.
Be cautious and courteous. Use your turn signals, avoid using your horn, allow other drivers to merge.
Don’t engage. One angry driver can’t pick a fight unless someone else is willing to join in. You can best protect yourself against angry drivers by refusing to return their anger.
Steer clear. Give angry drivers plenty of room. If the other driver tries to engage you in a "road war," put as much distance between your vehicle and theirs, and then try to get away as quickly as possible. Do not follow them, or under any circumstances pull over to "settle things."
Avoid eye contact. This can escalate the situation by making it too personal.
Get help. If you have a cellular phone use it to call the police (in Colorado dial *CSP to report suspected road rage). Otherwise, drive to a place where there are people around, such as the police station, a convenience store, mall or even a hospital. Do not get out of your car. Do not drive home.
Adjust your attitude and slow down. Consider the consequences of your own mental attitude behind the wheel. Give yourself extra time to get where you need to be and keep a positive, relaxed frame of mind.
Road Rage Quiz
Are you an aggressive driver? Check the following behaviors you have caught yourself doing at least twice.
_____Mentally condemn other drivers.
_____Belittle other drivers to passengers in your car.
_____Close the space between you and the car in front of you so another car can’t merge.
_____Give another driver a "dirty" look.
_____Prevent another driver from passing you or speed past another car in protest.
_____Tailgate to pressure another driver to go faster or get out of your way.
_____Think or fantasize violence against another driver.
_____Honk, yell or make obscene gestures at other drivers.
_____Use your car to threaten or intimidate others by making sudden moves.
_____Chase down another car because of an insult or infraction.
_____Get out of the car and yell at another driver.
_____Deliberately bump or ram another car in anger.
_____Try to run another car off the road.
(*Courtesy Colorado State Patrol)
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Updated:
February 28, 2007 1:52 PM
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