Aggressive Driving and Speeding
Aggressive driving is one of the leading safety concerns of U. S. drivers. A recent NHTSA survey showed that more than 60 percent of drivers believe that unsafe driving by others was a major personal threat to them and to their families.
Aggressive driving is driving behavior that endangers or is likely to endanger people or property. Aggressive drivers are more likely to speed, tailgate, fail to yield, weave in-and-out of traffic, pass on the right, make improper and unsafe lane changes, and run stop signs and red lights.
Many jurisdictions are undertaking programs to combat aggressive driving. Some approaches include:
- citizen reporting of aggressive drivers (see Colorado example);
- citizen witnesses assisting in spotting red light runners (see Anchorage example); and
- adopting legislation identifying and setting penalties for aggressive driving.
- unconventional methods of observing traffic
- videotaping (and narrating on the tape) the aggressive driving behavior before pulling the offender over
- lighting technology that identifies red-light runners for officers positioned "downstream," instead of officers having to follow violators through intersections on red lights
- establishing a data base to track citations, injuries, etc., to identify scope of problem.
NHTSA has published Strategies for Aggressive Driver Enforcement to assist law enforcement agencies in developing, implementing and managing aggressive driver programs. For more information, see Program Publications for Planner 19.
Community Support for Enforcement of Aggressive Driving Violations
If your jurisdiction’s law enforcement agencies have instituted an aggressive driving program, your first step should be to see how you can support those efforts. But even without such programs in place, highway safety advocates can fight aggressive driving.
Communities have been successful with educational efforts about aggressive driving, either linked with enforcement programs or standing alone. After the Greer (South Carolina) Police Department began "Targeting the Aggressive Driver," an extensive education program for the community and officers, the community saw a 22 percent decrease in crashes in the first seven months of the program compared to the same period the previous year.
Health care professionals and other safety advocates can help educate their communities about the risks of speeding and other aggressive driving behaviors.
Employers can educate employees about the dangers of aggressive driving and encourage courteous driving. In addition to educating through newsletters and other approaches, employers can encourage employees to report aggressive drivers and can implement policies to discourage aggressive driving. For example, parents who pick up children from day care may rush from work to avoid late charges; if your company requires a parent to stay past their normal departure time, reimburse them for the late charge. Result: one less frazzled employee who is more likely to drive safely and calmly.
