Details of the study

AAA researchers looked at numerous studies and data detailing traffic accidents over the past few years and found that 56% of fatal crashes involved some sort of aggressive driving. Although they didn’t tackle road rage, they provided several definitions of aggressive driving. One, from Tasca, defined it as, “A driving behavior is aggressive if it is deliberate, likely to increase the risk of collision and is motivated by impatience, annoyance, hostility and/or an attempt to save time.”

According to data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHSTA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), those behaviors are likely to manifest themselves as:

• Following improperly
• Improper or erratic lane changing
• Illegal driving on road shoulder, in ditch, or on sidewalk or median
• Passing where prohibited by posted signs, pavement markings, hill or curve, or school bus displaying warning not to pass, 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, 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

In some cases, AAA says that drivers exhibited more than one of the above behaviors that led to a traffic fatality – and that drunk driving was a factor in over a third of the cases reviewed.

However, increased awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving – as well as an increase in seatbelt use – has helped to decrease the number of fatalities.

To see the study, click here.

What does it mean to you?

As interesting as these facts are, what do they mean to you? The answer is that many states have laws that specifically prohibit aggressive driving. Contact 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.