AGGRESSIVE DRIVING ON THE

ROAD

AGGRESSIVE DRIVINGAGGRESSIVE DRIVING

More drivers have started acting out their anger when they get behind the wheel.◦Cut off◦Tailgated◦Slowed down by a vehicle in front of them.

Angry drivers can commit incredible acts of violence.◦Assault and murder

AAA Foundation of Traffic Safety studied:◦More than 10,000 incidents of violent

aggressive driving committed in 2009. It found that at least 218 people were killed. Another 12,610 angry drivers got injured.

No national definition for the term “road rage”◦It is commonly defined as a societal condition

where motorist lose their temper in reaction to a traffic disturbance.

◦In most cases, the traffic situations encountered are typical of today's normal driving conditions in higher traffic volumes.

“Aggressive driving” refers to an angry motorist attempting to intentionally injury or kill another driver because of a traffic dispute.◦Aggressive drivers react negatively and use

their vehicles to retaliate by making sudden, threatening maneuvers.

◦This makes “Road Rage”“Road Rage” a serious issue of traffic safety for yourself and others.

Aggressive driving behaviors are triggered by a variety of stimuli.

1.ANGER…… AT FAST DRIVERS WHEN CUT OFF AT SLOW DRIVERS AT BROKEN TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT TRAFFIC JAMS AT YOUR PASSENGERS AT TAILGATERS WHEN MULTILANE HIGHWAYS NARROWS WHEN OTHERS TELL YOU TO CALM DOWN

2. COMPETITION….. WITH YOURSELF WITH OTHER DRIVERS

WITH OTHER CARS IN A TRAFFIC JAM RACING OTHER DRIVERS WITH DRIVERS WHO CHALLENGE YOU STREET RACING AT STOP LIGHTS TO AMUSE YOURSELF WHEN BORED

4. PUNISHMENT…… - DO YOU “PUNISH” BAD DRIVERS?

- COMPLAIN TO PASSENGERS ABOUT OTHER DRIVERS?

- CURSE/MAKE ONSENCE GESTURES AT OTHER DRIVERS? - BLOCK CARS TRYING TO PASS? - BLOCK CARS TRYING TO CHANGE LANES? - RIDE ANOTHER CAR’S TAIL? - BRAKE SUDDENLY TO PUNISH TAILGATER? - USE HIGH BEAMS TO PUNISH BAD DRIVERS?

Overuse of the horn.

Failure to use turn signals.

Violent traffic disputes are rarely the results of a single incident, but rather are the cumulative result of a series of stressors.

Traffic incident that turns violent is often

““the last straw”the last straw”

Aggressive Driver ProfileAggressive Driver Profile

Persons who exhibit aggressive behaviors cross all ages, race, socioeconomic and gender lines.

Even people who are usually “mild-mannered” can blow their top behind the wheel.

Aggressive Driver ProfileAggressive Driver Profile

People who are characteristically cynics, rude, angry or aggressive are pone to get angry more often.

Those people are “raging” at home, at work, and on the road.

Majority of perpetrators:◦Males between the ages of 18 and 26.◦Hundreds of reported cases were 26 to 50

years old.◦In 86 cases the driver was between 50 and 75

years old.

No one profile for aggressive drivers.◦Most are relatively young, poorly educated

males with criminal records, histories of violence, and drug or alcohol problems.

◦Many have recently suffered an emotional or professional setback.

◦Hundreds of others are educated men and women with no such histories.

While most of the drivers are male:◦Approximately 4% were female.◦Women used their vehicle as a weapon in 285

cases.◦In 31 known cases, women attacked police

officers, usually while the officer was attempting to issue a traffic citation.

Tailgating to pressure a driver to go faster or get out of the way.

Flashing lights in order to signal drivers to move to another lane.

Obscene gesturing.Changing lanes without signaling.Blasting the horn.

Frequently changing lanes by weaving back and forth.

Racing to beat a yellow light that’s about to turn red.

Traveling in the passing or left lane at a slower speed, making it impossible of others to pass.

Driving with high beams on behind another vehicle or toward on coming traffic.

Cutting drivers off.Slowing down after passing someone.Not making a right turn in the right-hand

turn lane.Not reacting quickly after the light turns

green.

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the other driver’s CAPACITY for MAYHAM.

BE PATIENTBE PATIENT and KEEP your COOLKEEP your COOL in traffic.

Do not make obscene gestures

Use your horn sparinglyDon’t block passing

laneDon’t switch lanes

without signalingAvoid blocking the

right-hand turn laneDo not take more than

one parking space

If you are not disabled, don’t park in a disabled space

Do not allow your door to hit the car parked next to you

Do not tailgate If you travel slowly, pull

over & allow traffic to pass

Avoid unnecessary use of high beams headlights

Don’t let the car (cellular) phone distract you

Don’t stop in the road to talk with a pedestrian or other driver

Don’t inflict loud music on neighboring cars

Assume other driver’s mistakes are not personal

Be polite and courteous, even if the other driver isn’t

Avoid all conflict if possible. If another driver challenges you, take a deep breath and get out of the way

Allow plenty of time for the trip.Listen to smoothing music.Improve the comfort in your vehicle.Understand that you can’t control the

traffic, only your reaction to it.

Many otherwise peaceful motorist become enraged road warriorsenraged road warriors when they get behind the wheel. If you’re one of them, be advised that:◦a) cars are not bullet proof;◦b) a truly aggressive driver will follow you

home; and◦c) you’ve got to get out of the car eventually.

If you are tempted to participate in a driving duel, ask yourself:◦Is it worth being paralyzed or killed?◦Is it worth a jail sentence?

An impulsive action could ruin An impulsive action could ruin the rest of your life.the rest of your life.