According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, aggressive driving is defined as an individual’s behavior to commit traffic violations, in the result of which the life or property of others is threatened’. In other words, aggressive driving is particularly the result of road rage that can happen anywhere at any time. It can start as a minor issue and can accelerate to causing serious damages in the form of severe injuries or loss of life.
The NHTSA has found out by evaluating their Fatal Accident Report database that 56% of deadly crashes in a five-year are caused due to aggressive driving. Another study shows that 66% of traffic fatalities are caused by aggressive driving.
Have you ever been into or seen an accident that is the result of aggressive driving? If yes, you must be familiar with its grave consequences. It not only causes physical harm to both parties involved, i-e the victim and the attacker but also gets you involved in legal charges and lawsuits, which is why it’s so important to avoid being aggressive on the road.
There can be many reasons behind aggressive driving. Let’s identify a few.
Reasons Of Aggressive Driving
Aggressive behavior during driving can be triggered by another driver cutting you off or driving too slow. No matter how nasty other drivers are, aggressive driving is not the answer. Most people think of aggressive driving as violent assault, but it also includes the following reasons;
- Tail-gating
- Abrupt lane changes
- Speeding and street racing
- Verbal threats
- Blocking cars or try to pass or change lanes
- Cutting other drivers off
- Brake checking
- Severe traffic jams
The reasons mentioned above play a significant role in displaying aggressive driving behavior. A recent study has associated the condition known as, Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) as leaving subjects inclined to acts of aggressive driving and road rage.
To avoid such situations, you need to know what the stages of aggressive driving are. Having the knowledge, you can save yourself, your loved ones, and others from the dangers of the road and legal penalties.
4 Stages Of Aggressive Driving
There are four stages of aggressive driving, and it often takes no time to jump from the first to the fourth stage. The four stages are:
Stage # 1
Most people get annoyed, frustrated and show non-threatening gestures. This may happen because of traffic jams or slow driving by a driver, but this kind of behavior instigates the other driver to show annoyance through a rude gesture.
Stage # 2
When a driver notices that some other driver has wronged him through cutting in or hitting and driving away, the course of action instigates aggressive driving. It also occurs by tail-gating, honking, blinking lights, malicious braking, blocking other vehicles, etc.
Stage # 3
There is another element involved in activating the next stage of aggressive driving that is threatening behavior. Due to disputes related to traffic, a ragged and aggressive driver behaves aggressively, showing signs of violence in the form of cursing, yelling, and threatening. All this may lead to drivers getting out of their vehicles and confronting each other.
Stage # 4
The last stage is related to criminal offenses such as using weapons, firing gunshots, damaging vehicles with objects, hunting a vehicle, and many more. All these are criminal acts and road violations, and if you ever get involve or face an accident like this, you need immediate legal help and guidance.
Legal Implications Of Aggressive Driving
According to statistics, aggressive driving is responsible for killing two to four times more people compared to drunken drivers. Aggressive driving is a serious traffic violation that has several levels of fines and penalties. There are several penalties such as fines up to $6,250, mandatory license suspension, and up to 1-year imprisonment that can be charged for endangering another person.
Therefore, if you are caught in an unfortunate car accident because of aggressive driving on your account on another driver’s, you must contact a reputed attorney to seek legal advice.
Make Timely Call To Your Car Accident Attorney
In case you or your loved one has been a victim of aggressive driving, you need to file a claim to get compensated for the property and physical damages. So, feel safe and confident to contact us for consulting an expert personal injury attorney as we pave the way to ensure justice is done.
