It’s likely we’ve all witnessed aggressive driving or perhaps been the aggressor – in fact, more than 80% of drivers across the United States agree that they have had road rage at some point within the last year, or have seen it, according to AAA. Furthermore, 56% of deadly accidents involve aggressive driving.
It’s important to understand what aggressive driving is and to be able to spot it. This will help you avoid becoming involved in a car accident. It’s also beneficial to know if someone you are driving with begins to show signs of the behavior.
What Is Aggressive Driving?
According to the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), aggressive driving is when “an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses to endanger other persons or property.”
The types of dangerous driving may include:
- Failing to obey stop signs, yield signs, and other traffic signals
- Driving illegally on the shoulder or sidewalk
- Passing in zones where passing is prohibited
- Failing to signal turns or lane changes
- Speeding
- Tailgating or riding on the bumper of the car in front
- Erratic and unsafe lane changes
- Running red lights
- Ignoring other drivers
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Driving reckless or negligent
- Taking frustrations out on other motorists
- Using obscene hand gestures or yelling profanity
- Blocking other drivers from changing lanes
In March, Kentucky State Police began targeting aggressive drivers. KSP Sgt. Jason Morris said in a news release, “many preventable crashes result from unsafe driving behavior such as speeding, distracted driving and following too close. Often times, we see this on our highways when motorists and commercial vehicle drivers struggle to share the road.”
Many car crashes can be prevented if drivers can control their aggressions when on the road. If you’ve been involved in a car accident because of an aggressive driver, call Kaiman & Crahan today at 502-771-0741.