Aggressive Driving

Sometimes I wonder why people died of accident. Some blame this on reckless or aggressive driving while some believe it is normal for accident to occur. This is why the issue of aggressive driving has been a very vital issue today. These are recognized aggressive driving behaviors: over speeding, tailgating, weaving, and running red lights, darting in and out of lanes, yelling and gesturing etc.

Growing concerns about these drivers and the hazards they create on the roads have led to a flurry of activity by safety groups, law enforcement, mental health professionals and legislatures.

There have been different studies about this issue and this study is very important, because these drivers’ endangers their life and others. Sometimes it might be suicide on the drivers’ part.

One of these studies is the findings by the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at the University of Albany, in conjunction with Fact Finders, Inc. and the New York Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, which showed that almost 29 percent of those surveyed say they see someone driving aggressively every day.

Most of the participants admitted that they tend to drive more aggressively when in hurry, but not when angry or in a bad mood. The survey also indicated that aggressive driving poses problems for teens. The survey found that 24 percent of those aged 16 to 24 say they sometimes or most of the time drive aggressively as compared with 11 percent for those aged 45 to 54.

In another study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which found that between 1990 and 1996 road rage contributed to 218 deaths and 12,610 injuries.

The study analyzed 10,037 police reports and newspaper stories about traffic accidents that led to violence. What’s more, AAA found that road rage incidents increased nearly 7 percent each year within that six-year period. Some experts blame the increase on longer commutes, which have led to more people on the roads others blame it on aggressiveness, risk-taking and personality traits of high-danger drivers.

In conclusion, this study shows that teens are more likely to drive aggressively. In addition, there is a difference in the number of aggressive behavior between Convertible/Sports car (Porsche) drivers and drivers of Minivan and Truck.

It is believed that drivers of Trucks and Minivans drink most of the time than those driving sports car and will most times drive aggressively.

Reference:

• Dittmann, M, “Anger on the road”, Monitor staff, (2005, June).