Many accidents in Pennsylvania are caused by aggressive driving. People who engage in this type of driving display unsafe driving behaviors without regard for the safety of others around them. This type of conduct is often sparked by anger when people are annoyed by the traffic around them. Aggressive driving can result in serious accidents, injuries, and deaths.
What is aggressive driving?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, aggressive driving occurs when motorists drive in a way that endangers the lives of others around their vehicles in disregard for their safety. At the extreme, this driving is often called road rage and might involve drivers gesturing and threatening others around them while driving. Some examples of driving behaviors include the following:
- Weaving in and out of traffic lanes
- Tailgating
- Excessive speeding
- Failing to yield the right-of-way
- Passing illegally on the right or on the shoulder
- Repeated honking, gesturing or threatening
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Displaying weapons
- Trying to run others off of the road
Aggressive driving can cause other drivers to panic, become distracted or lose focus on the road, and can lead to a severe or fatal accident.
How to handle aggressive drivers
If you see a driver behaving aggressively, make sure to avoid their vehicle. Get out of the way of a motorist who is tailgating you, and do not make eye contact even if he or she is gesturing, honking, or yelling at you. Do not try to follow them. Instead, simply pull off at a safe location and report what happened to the police by calling 911.
Aggressive driving endangers the lives of the driver, their passengers, and motorists around them. Since these drivers are not behaving rationally, others should never challenge them or get into altercations in traffic. That could worsen the situation and possibly result in a catastrophic accident. People who are seriously injured because of the actions of an aggressive driver may want to get help from experienced attorneys who have experience with claims involving car accidents.
