It’s not like it’s the first government effort to curtail motor vehicle crashes. In April every year, law enforcement agencies throughout the country go after distracted drivers. Meanwhile, police are on the hunt for other types of motorists. Will the state’s aggressive driving campaign reduce accident rates?
In the first place, you might not even understand what constitutes aggressive driving. For some, it’s that car that weaves in and out of lanes and nearly misses collisions with other vehicles.
Other examples of this type of driving include tailgating and speeding, as well as running stop lights and traffic signs. Quite simply, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) attributes aggressive driving to those who “commit a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.”
Notably, the American Automobile Association (AAA) finds aggressive drivers to be angry or hostile. According to their studies, almost 80 percent of motorists admitted they got behind the wheel and felt their aggression come out. Fortunately, the survey only asked if it happened to them once in the past year.
Of course, there’s also the issue of road rage, which absolutely fits into the category of aggressive driving. Most incidences of road rage come with negative results.
About Pennsylvania’s Aggressive Driving Campaign
If you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle crash, you might want to consider how the accident occurred. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation asks some clear cut questions regarding aggressive driving.
If you were a passenger injured in a car accident, you might already suspect the driver put you an increased risk. Whatever the case, aggressive driving is responsible for a number of serious and critical injuries.
The NHTSA actually provides funding for the state’s aggressive driving campaign, known as the “Summer Drive Time” Wave. Over 216 municipal agencies participate in the event that started on July 8th and runs until August 28th.
The last seven-week Wave of this type occurred in spring and included 16,266 citations and/or arrests. Perhaps not surprisingly, 58% of the tickets involved speeding violations. This was followed by failure to abide by traffic signals and signs.
During that time period, 46 motorists received citations for impaired driving.
Will the crackdown do anything to prevent accidents, and thus, injuries. One can only hope. The focus this time around centers on heavy trucks, red light running, the move over law, and speeding.
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As a result of aggressive driving, fatal accidents are a real possibility. Likewise, the possibility exists for serious and permanent injuries. If you or a loved one becomes a victim of someone else’s negligent or dangerous actions, Fellerman & Ciarimboli can help. Give us a call to set up an appointment.
