Aggressive Driving

One in four Americans admits to driving aggressively, most commonly by speeding because they are running late, according to a 1998 study by the American Automobile Association.

That's 45 million aggressive drivers, a bigger problem than "road rage," a better known but different pattern. In road rage, drivers try to harm others with their vehicles. Aggressive drivers, by AAA's definition, drive without regard for others' safety.

The survey was based on telephone interviews with 942 licensed drivers across the country. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Some 25 percent of those surveyed said they had driven aggressively in the past year, and 32 percent of those said they did so several times.

When asked how they were being aggressive, 58 percent cited speeding, and 23 percent said they changed lanes excessively. About 11 percent said they tailgated, while a similar number said they ran a red light or stop sign.

Among the most common reasons for aggressive driving were lateness, slow traffic in the high-speed lane and frustration at traffic congestion. Thirty-nine percent said they coped with traffic congestion by changing lanes excessively or running red lights and stop signs.

The survey was AAA's first attempt to understand the causes of aggressive driving. The association has more than 40 million members in the United States and Canada, and aggressive driving is a frequent subject of discussion at club meetings.

 

The following are excerpted remarks from Ricardo Martinez, M.D., former administrator, NHTSA, given before Congress, July 1997

Highway fatalities have decreased from 50,984 in 1966 to 41,907 in 1996, despite an enormous increase in travel. The fatality rate--fatalities per mile of travel--decreased by 69 percent during this period, from 5.5 fatalities per hundred million miles traveled to 1.7, an all-time low. Alcohol involvement in fatal crashes has dropped from 57 percent to 41 percent over this same 15-year period. Seat belt use has grown from 11 percent in 1982 to 68 percent in 1996. Truck-related fatalities continue to decrease despite an increase in truck travel and a 170 percent increase in the number of drivers holding commercial driver licenses. Rail-highway grade crossing fatalities at public crossings have also decreased by 31 percent over the last seven years (1990-1996).

The Department, in implementing the highway safety programs this Committee was so instrumental in developing, has contributed to this progress. The number and costs of fatalities and injuries would be
significantly higher if not for our programs. Since 1992, seat belts, child safety seats, motorcycle helmets, and the age-21 minimum drinking age laws have saved over 40,000 lives. Elimination of highway roadway hazards has saved an estimated 6,200 lives; an additional 1,700 lives have been saved through the rail-highway crossing improvement programs.

Despite these advances, recent statistics show there is no room for complacency. After years of steady decline, the total number of highway deaths increased slightly in each of the last four years. In 1996, 41,907 people died and over 3 million more were injured in police-reported crashes. Though our fatality rate remains at an all-time low, these highway crashes still cost the Nation $150.5 billion a year. We estimate that about one-third of these crashes and about two-thirds of the resulting fatalities can be attributed to behavior associated with aggressive driving.

AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. For years the highway safety spotlight has been focused on the impaired driver, the speeding driver, and the unbelted driver and passengers. Today we must add the aggressive driver to the list of those contributing to the problems on our nation's roads and highways.

Everyone has seen examples of aggressive driving, and many of us, at some time, have driven aggressively ourselves. Let me begin with a definition of what we are talking about. The Department defines aggressive driving as "driving behavior that endangers or is likely to endanger people or property." This definition includes a broad spectrum of driving behaviors, ranging from risky driving and escalating to dueling and violence on the road.

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, run stop signs and red lights, make hand and facial gestures, scream, honk, and flash their lights

•Climb into the anonymity of an automobile and take out their frustrations on others at any time

•Allow high frustration levels to diminish any concern for fellow motorists

•Be impaired by alcohol or drugs, and drive unbelted or take other unsafe actions

WHAT CAUSES AGGRESSIVE DRIVING? The causes of aggressive driving are complex; no one has all of the answers. Some psychiatrists point to deep-rooted personal causes such as stress disorders that lead to impaired judgment. Social scientists have tended to see a connection between societal problems and uncivil or violent forms of driving behavior.

What we do know is that three factors in particular are linked to aggressive driving: (1) lack of responsible driving behavior; (2) reduced levels of traffic enforcement; and (3) increased congestion and travel in our urban areas.

Lack of Responsible Driving Behavior. The problem of reducing aggressive driving begins with the individual driver. Driving is a privilege that demands responsibility. On the road, the focus is often on individual rights and freedom--a "me first" philosophy--not on our responsibility to others with whom we share the road. Each driver must accept responsibility for his or her actions on the road.

We must raise the level of responsible driving behavior. For example, greater attention must be given to the fact that all drivers are part of a system that includes other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. As part of this system, we have to follow basic rules to make the system work. Driving is a cooperative venture, not a competitive sport; and cooperation really is the main way to achieve safety for all. Without cooperation we revert to the laws of the jungle, not of the road. All drivers, and new drivers in particular, beginning in driver's education classes, need to be made aware of more than just the "rules of the road." They must be taught that the consequences of aggressive driving lead to tragedy and that, in addition to being illegal, aggressive driving is often clearly criminal.

Reduced Levels of Traffic Enforcement. We also need vigorous enforcement of traffic laws. The perceived risk of being apprehended for a traffic violation is directly related to the level of traffic enforcement. The fewer the enforcement actions that are taken, the more frequent the aggressive behavior. Simply put, people tend to respect what the police inspect.

Unfortunately, some jurisdictions are cutting back on police traffic enforcement in this period of shrinking budgets. It is important to remember, however, that more Americans die by the violence of motor vehicle crashes than any another source of violence. As I mentioned earlier, last year 41,907 people died in traffic crashes. The number of these tragedies should help us realize that we need more police on our roads, not less. In short, more must be done to adjust law enforcement resources to address the heightened need of traffic enforcement.

We also need strong laws that are well enforced. Sound laws not only benefit the driving public and law enforcement officers, they also aid the judicial system. Aggressive driving is a serious offense, but it will not be treated as a serious offense if our courts are not given the ability to provide appropriate punishments. Strong penalties send strong messages that this form of behavior will not be tolerated.

Increased Congestion and Travel, Especially in Our Urban Areas. Traffic congestion is one condition frequently associated with aggressive driving. Since 1987, the number of miles of roads in the United States has increased by only 1 percent while the number of vehicle miles driven has increased by 35 percent. More cars and more drivers are also on the road. In the past decade, the number of cars grew 17 percent faster than the population, which grew at 10 percent.

From a speech by, Ricardo Martinez, M.D., former administrator, NHTSA