Majority of US Drivers Admit to Aggressive Driving Behavior
The phenomenon of road rage is nothing new and is something that drivers on New York roads encounter on a daily basis. A recently-released study suggests that aggressive driving might be even more common than you think.
AAA Report on Aggressive Driving
The report was based on a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety of over 2,700 drivers over the age of 16. Researchers assessed the prevalence of aggressive driving by asking survey participants whether they had committed any of the following behaviors, generally seen as aggressive, while behind the wheel in the past year:
- Drove close to another vehicle to get that vehicle to move or speed up (i.e., tailgating)
- Made an angry gesture at another driver (i.e., a middle finger)
- Yelled at another driver
- Used their vehicle to block another driver from switching lanes
- Cut another driver off deliberately
- Honked out of anger or frustration, and not as a warning
- Deliberately bumped or rammed another vehicle
- Left their vehicle to confront another driver
78% of survey participants reported that they have driven aggressively in some manner over the past year by committing one of the above behaviors. Specifically, 51% of survey respondents reported tailgating another driver, 25% attempted to block another car from changing lanes, 12% cut off another driver on purpose, 4% left their vehicle to confront another driver, and 3% deliberately hit another driver’s car out of anger. Extrapolating this data out to the US population nationwide, these responses imply that in the past year, 7.6 million drivers left their car to confront another driver, and 5.7 million individuals likely bumped or hit another driver’s car intentionally in anger.
These rates of aggressive driving are sobering when considering the link between aggressive driving and fatal car accidents. When studying witness and police reports from fatal accidents, in 56% of cases, observers reported that the accident was preceded by an instance of aggressive driving. Cracking down on aggressive driving by ticketing those who follow too closely or drive recklessly could not only restore civil behavior; it could save lives.
If you’ve suffered injuries in an accident in New York caused by aggressive driving, drunken driving, or simple negligence, speak with an attorney to determine if you have a right to compensation for your injuries, lost work, and pain and suffering by contacting the Kingston lawyers for car accidents at Rusk Wadlin Heppner & Martuscello for a consultation on your case, in Kingston at 845-331-4100, and in Marlboro at 845-236-4411.
