Aggressive Driving and Car Accidents

Aggressive driving is a major factor in car accidents and is far too common. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, nearly 80% of driversthey surveyed expressed aggression, anger and road rage while behind the wheel. Aggressive driving can lead to risky driving behaviors and serious accidents. 

Examples of Aggressive Driving

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration definesaggressive driving as occurring when an individual “commits a number of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons and property.” Some examples of aggressive driving maneuvers include:

• Tailgating
• Speeding
• Erratic, frequent, and unsafe lane changes
• Failing to obey stop signs and other traffic signals
• Driving illegally on the shoulder, median, or sidewalk
• Failing to use a signal for turns and lane changes
• Passing in no passing zones
• Improper turns
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Ignoring signals from other drivers
• Taking out frustrations on other motorists
• Driving in a negligent and reckless manner

Road Rage

Sometimes aggressive driving can escalate into road rage. Road rage is violent, aggressive, and threatening behavior behind the wheel in reaction to another driver. Drivers with road rage use their vehicles as a weapon and attempt to intimidate or injure other drivers. Road rage drivers are generally not paying attention to the road and are instead focused on the driver who irritated them. Signs that a driver is consumed with road rage include:

• Aggressive tailgating
• Yelling at other drivers
• Honking the horn
• Making angry gestures 
• Trying to block another driver from changing lanes
• Cutting off another vehicle on purpose
• Bumping or ramming another vehicle

If you are confronted with a road rage driver, you should do your best to avoid them. Get off the highway if possible. Do not make eye contact with the driver or engage in an argument. If a road rage driver follows you, drive to the nearest police station and remain in your vehicle. Someone consumed with road rage may threaten you with bodily harm or carry a weapon.

Contact an Experienced Florida Car Accident Attorney

If you’ve been injured in an accident with an aggressive driver, you may want an experienced car accident attorney on your side. At Abrahamson & Uiterwyk, our experienced and trusted attorneys have been helping injured Floridians for over 30 years. Contact us onlineor call us at 1-800-538-4878 to set up your free consultation today.