Aggressive Driving Study
A study published in 2012 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed alarming data about aggressive driving behavior and the high risks for other drivers who may be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
- The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that aggressive driving accounts for more than half of all traffic fatalities.
- Speeding is one of the most dangerous types of aggressive driving behavior. A staggering 50% of drivers admit to speeding and 25% of motorists consider speeding acceptable.
- Aggressive driving has been implicated as a contributing factor in nearly one-third of all fatal car accidents in the United States each year.
Sidebar: Extreme Aggressive Driving – Road Rage
What is road rage? Cases of “road rage” have been responsible for many fatal car accidents. Road rage is defined as driving actions that involve showing hostility and anger towards other drivers. A normally friendly person can experience a change in their personality when behind the wheel of a vehicle. They may become aggressive, hostile, and take risks that endanger others on the road with them.
How to spot road rage. Signs of road rage include expressing frustrations with other drivers, not paying attention to the safety of others, tailgating, frequent lane changes and running red lights, and most commonly, speeding.
What to do. If you encounter an aggressive driver, it is strongly recommended that you distance yourself, do not challenge the driver in any of their actions, avoid eye contact, and do not respond to rude gestures. If you observe an aggressive driver, move away and contact local police: you could save a life.
The Role of Aggressive Driving in Fatal Accidents
Aggressive driving behavior has caused many deaths and serious injuries. The NHTSA reports that several driver-related factors may indicate that an accident involved aggressive driving. These factors include:
- Not maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles (tailgating);
- Inappropriate or erratic lane changes;
- Illegally driving on the shoulder, ditch, sidewalk, or median;
- Overtaking in prohibited areas, such as a hill or curve or around school buses;
- Overtaking on the wrong side;
- Overtaking with insufficient distance to do so safely;
- Overtaking with inadequate visibility;
- Not yielding to an approaching vehicle;
- Not yielding when necessary;
- Not obeying traffic signals, officers, safety zones, and traffic control devices;
- Driving too fast for road or weather conditions;
- Illegal racing;
- Speeding and not respecting posted speed limits;
- Making incorrect turns.
The Most Dangerous Aggressive Driving
The most consistently dangerous form of aggressive driving is speeding, whether above the speed limit or too fast for driving conditions. That behavior plays a role in 30.7% of fatal accidents. Failure to yield was cited as a factor in 11.4% of fatal accidents. Reckless, careless, or erratic driving was mentioned as a factor in 7.4% of fatal accidents reviewed in the NHTSA report.
Your Legal Options
At Gruber Law Offices in Milwaukee, our legal team is committed to helping the injured or families who have lost a loved one. Aggressive driving is a form of negligent driving, and the driver who took these risks should be held accountable for justice to be served.
This is how we can help you:
- Our first step is to talk to you and listen to what happened.
- When we take on any car accident case in Wisconsin, we give you our full attention and focus.
- With 16 personal injury lawyers, we have the resources available to help you properly and as you deserve.
- We will help you understand what insurance coverage you may have for your injuries.
- We will gather police reports and other necessary documents to prove that the other driver was at fault.
- We will find out what insurance coverage is available from the driver who caused your accident.
- We will negotiate with insurance adjusters on both sides of the case.
- We will file all documentation in the court system to protect your legal rights.
- We will work to negotiate a fair settlement for your damages.
- If an agreement cannot be reached, our lawyers will represent you in Wisconsin courts.
Contact us today for more information about your case. Aggressive driving injury cases are taken on a contingency fee basis: if we don’t win, there are no attorney fees. We are committed to your future and well-being, as well as that of your loved ones. Call now to speak with a lawyer and receive a free consultation.
From our office in Milwaukee, we serve all of southeast Wisconsin, including Kenosha, Madison, Racine, and Waukesha.
