Eight
out of 10 drivers surveyed in the AAA Foundation’s annual Traffic
Safety culture Index rank aggressive driving as a “serious” or
“extremely serious” risk that jeopardizes their safety.
They’re right. Aggressive driving accounts for more than half of all traffic fatalities.
Although “road rage” incidents provide some of the most shocking views of aggressive driving,
many common behaviors, including racing, tailgating, failing to observe
signs and regulations, and seeking confrontations with other drivers,
all qualify as potentially aggressive behaviors. Speeding is one of the
most prevalent aggressive behaviors. AAA Foundation studies show that
speeding is a factor in one-third of all fatal crashes.
Despite
a strong public awareness and understanding of aggressive driving, many
people are willing to excuse aggressive behaviors. Half of all drivers
in our Traffic Safety Culture Index admitted to exceeding both
neighborhood and highway speed limits by more than 15% in the past 30
days. More remarkable, a quarter of drivers say they consider speeding
acceptable.
Throughout
outreach and education programs, we work to offer the public tools to
assess their own behavior and recognize the signs of aggressive driving.
As more people understand the many behaviors that can become
aggressive and see their own behavior in a new light, they can begin to
adopt safer driving practices and manage risk more effectively.
