Defining Aggressive Driving

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Wrongful Death

It is easy to get frustrated on the road. It happens to the best of us — the most calm, the best drivers, the easiest going. Yet aggressive driving remains a serious danger for motorists on America’s highways, and can result in some of the most grisly crashes and motor vehicle fatalities.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, aggressive driving is any time that a driver commits a series, or a combination, of driving infractions that endangers other drivers or vehicles on the road. Aggressive driving is defined as any time that a driver disobeys three or more moving violations in one sequence of driving. And example of this would be if a motorist was speeding down the highway, passing another car on the right, and failing to use a signal to change lanes.

Other characteristics of aggressive driving include, but are not limited too:

• Following too closely;
• Erratic or unsafe lane changes;
• Failure to obey stop signs, yield signs, traffic signals, railroad crossings, etc.; or
• Running red lights.

Aggressive driving should not be confused with road rage. If someone is an aggressive driver, it is as much a personality trait, in that it occurs often, usually whenever the person is behind the wheel, as it is a dangerous act. Road rage, on the other hand, is a criminal offense. Road rage is circumscribed by a particular incident, and often involves other aspects of criminal behavior.

Some research shows that the number of aggressive driving incidents is on the rise. It is largely explained by demographic changes that result in more drivers on the road at any given time. This assertion is held despite statistics that point to the fact that traffic safety has improved significantly as traffic fatality rates drop.

If you or someone you know has been involved in an accident because of an aggressive driver, you are likely eligible for compensation. Do not go through it alone. Contact an experienced Lake County accident attorney today.

Sources:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/enforce/aggressdrivers/aggenforce/define.html

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Aggressive

http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/809707.pdf