No matter how many years you have been driving, you have undoubtedly come across another driver who seems a bit aggressive. Whether he or she has yelled at you or other travelers, made inappropriate gestures or carried out other similar acts, you likely felt a bit uncomfortable and believed that the behavior was unnecessary.
That feeling of unease you experienced is understandable. When individuals commit acts of road rage or otherwise drive aggressively, they increase the chances of a serious car accident taking place. While intense road rage incidents are less common, drivers often carrying out aggressive behaviors while behind the wheel, and you may do so yourself without fully realizing it.
Aggressive driving statistics
In a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation, 90 percent of drivers who participated in the survey indicated that they believed aggressive driving to pose a serious threat to their safety while on the road. However, many of these same individuals gave responses that showed that they had carried out aggressive acts themselves while driving. Some of those behaviors included:
- Driving through a red light when they had time to stop safely
- Traveling 15 mph or more over the posted speed limit on freeways
- Traveling 15 mph or more over the speed limit in residential areas
Speeding is certainly one form of aggressive driving, but many other actions could fall into this category as well.
Examples of aggressive driving
You may consider yourself a relatively safe driver overall. However, if you have committed any of the following acts, you may be more of an aggressive driver than you think:
- Moving in and out of traffic
- Not yielding to vehicles that have the right of way
- Driving over the posted speed limit or going too fast for conditions
- Tailgating slower drivers
- Not stopping at stop signs or red lights
- Improperly passing other vehicles
- Unnecessarily honking your horn
Refraining from these actions could help you remain a safe driver and prevent putting others at risk. Of course, you may find yourself the target of such actions. If you come across an aggressive driver, it may work in your best interests to move out of the way as safely as possible. If you cannot get out of the way and another driver’s actions cause you to end up in a serious car accident, that individual could be held liable for your injuries and other damages resulting from the event.