Truck Accident News

NHTSA Defines Aggressive Driving Enforcement

The words aggressive driving emerged during the 1990s as a label for a category of dangerous on-the-road behaviors…. following too closely, driving at excessive speeds, weaving through traffic, and running stop lights and signs, among other acts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as the operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property. An important distinction is that aggressive driving is a traffic violation, while road rage is a criminal offense.

Several factors can contribute to a single example of aggressive driving and it is important to understand that not all instances of behaviors categorized as aggressive driving are volitional. For example, errors in judging turning headway can result in right of way violations or crashes, and driver inattention can result in failure to obey traffic signals or signs. Driving in excess of a speed limit does not always endanger persons or property, nor does it necessarily involve an aggressive intent. Some factors, excluding human error, that are believed to contribute to conscious decisions to drive aggressively include: disregard for the law and for others, traffic delays, running late, anonymity, and habitual or clinical behavior (e.g., an individual predisposed to angry confrontation across a diverse spectrum of situations).

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	Did You Know?
	A driver can be disqualified for one year for a first time conviction of the following offenses while operating a commercial vehicle. Penalties can include: Driving under the influence of alcohol or any drugs; Driving with an alcohol concentration of .04 or more; Leaving the scene of an accident; Using a commercial vehicle in the commission of a felony; or Refusing to take a blood alcohol test. If convicted of any of the above while operating a vehicle placarded for hazardous materials, the disqualification increases to three years.