Aggressive driving is a major concern of drivers on roadways across the country. As a matter of fact, aggressive driving is ranked as one of the top traffic safety issues in national surveys. In the state of Arizona, law defines aggressive driving as:-Speeding and at least two of the following: failure to yield right of way, following too closely, unsafe lane change, passing on the right out of regular lanes of traffic or failure to obey traffic control device, and is an immediate hazard to another person or vehicle.
There are only 15 states that address aggressive driving behaviors in their legislatures. Luckily, Arizona is one of those states, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Officials with GHSA are urging states to step up in the fight against these dangerous drivers. To help to reduce the risks of aggression-related car accidents, GHSA recommends the following:
-The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) should consider sponsoring a campaign to push enforcement efforts, to raise awareness and to educate drivers about the dangers of aggressive driving.
-Local and state officers should consider tackling speeders and aggressive drivers at the same time, especially since speeding is common among aggressive drivers. This would also be an effective route of enforcement because the driving public typically sees aggressive driving as more dangerous. The public would typically support this kind of effort compared to one that only targets speeding drivers.
Ninety percent of drivers who were surveyed by GHSA said that they felt that aggressive driving is unacceptable. Still, about 50 percent of these same drivers admitted to engaging in aggressive driving behaviors.
Aggressive driving may be more common on our roadways because our roadways are typically more crowded nowadays. As a matter of fact, the number of vehicle miles driven is up nearly 40 percent over the last 10 years. There are more vehicle miles driven because there are more vehicles on our roadways. During that same period of time the number of miles of roadway has only increased by 1 percent. That’s a lot more vehicles and a lot more travel on just about the same amount of road. With the driving public in a hurry and our roadways congested, we’re left with a recipe for aggression. Drivers are urged to ignore aggressive drivers that they run into on our roadways. Never return the aggressive behavior. Stay calm and stay away from that driver. Report them to officers to help keep our roadways safe for all. Stay calm, stay alert and stay safe on our roadways. Don’t let aggression get the best of you!
If you have been involved in a collision, contact our hard working Phoenix car accident lawyers online or call (602) 819-5191 for a free consultation. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, and there are no attorney fees unless a recovery is made on your behalf.
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Phoenix Car Accidents to be Reduced Under New Guidelines, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, March 1, 2012
Teen Car Accidents in Arizona Up Despite National Decrease, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, February 25, 2012