Vehicle Accident Statistics - Aggressive Driving #1 Cause of Fatal Car Accidents

Vehicle accident statistics paint a very dismal picture of driving in America today. Millions of car accidents today are the result of numerous behaviors that can be easily controlled such as aggressive driving. In fact, a new study released by the American Automobile Association’s Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA) shows that 56 percent of fatal crashes are due to aggressive driving behaviors such as speeding, failing to yield, reckless, careless or erratic driving, failure to obey traffic signals, and making improper turns.

During the study, AAA researchers looked at numerous outside studies and recent car accident statistics to determine that 56 percent of fatal crashes involved some sort of aggressive driving. Although the study did not address road rage, it provided several definitions of aggressive driving. One in particular defines aggressive driving as any driving behavior that is aggressive or deliberate, and is likely to increase the risk of collision. Aggressive driving behavior is typically motivated by impatience, annoyance, hostility, or all of the above.

According to data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHSTA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), aggressive driving behaviors are likely to result in the following reckless actions:

• Following improperly
• Improper or erratic lane changing
• Illegal driving on road shoulders, in ditches, or on sidewalks or medians
• Passing where prohibited by posted signs, pavement markings, hill or curve, or school bus displaying warning not to pass, and passing on wrong side, passing with insufficient distance or inadequate visibility or failing to yield to overtaking vehicle
• Operating the vehicle in an erratic, reckless, careless, or negligent manner or suddenly changing speeds
• Failure to yield right of way
• Failure to obey traffic signs, traffic control devices, or traffic officers, and failure to observe safety zone traffic laws
• Failure to observe warnings or instructions on vehicle displaying them
• Failure to signal
• Driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted speed limit
• Racing
• Making an improper turn

The AAA states that in some cases drivers exhibited more than one of the above behaviors that led to a traffic fatality. In addition, the AAA’s determinations from recent car accident statistics show that drunk driving was a factor in over a third of the cases reviewed.

Although the high number of motor vehicle accidents annually remains steady, increased awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving, as well as an increase in seatbelt use, has helped to decrease the number of traffic accident fatalities.

To see the study, click here.

What does this mean for you?

As interesting as these facts are, how do they relate to you? The answer is, many states have laws that specifically prohibit aggressive driving. Contact an experienced car accident attorney to determine if you have a personal injury case, the strength of your case, and what compensation you might be entitled to.