How many of us drove into work this morning and saw horns blaring, break checking, people being cut off, people flipping each other off and or just outright violence? I bet more often than not. Each and every day American commuters grow increasingly more likely to take all of their personal frustrations out other drivers on the road. This is what we all know very well as to be aggressive driving. Every decision we make while driving is a combination of both public and private acts. The car acts as a vessel sheltering the driver from the outside world as it takes you from point A to point B. This creates a sense of personal power and can become quite intoxicating. Aggressive driving can mean a wide variety of acts or a combination of a few acts. Acts such as excessive speeding, failing to stop or yield when in turn, improper lane changes or turns, as well as a variety of gestures such as physical or abusive language. Every day we run the chance of coming across aggressive drives. The risk not only exists during long commutes but just driving a few miles to the grocery store or to a friend’s house as well. The U.S. News and World Report on the U.S. Department of Transportation states that about two-thirds of traffic fatalities are caused, at least in part due to aggressive driving. Thankfully, there is a way to doing something about it.
The only way to overcome aggressive driving is to first get a better understanding of it. Let us first begin by addressing the problem and understand that it contains both dangers and solution that will aid in ending this growing trend. The main culprits of aggressive driving are the inattentive and or discourteous drivers. According to a story found in the Amarillo Daily News, “left-lane hogs” are the number one cause. Basically, a left-lane hog is someone who continues to drive in the left lane at a slower pace than the flow of traffic. Failing to use your turn signal before changing a lane, changing your lane while too close to another driver, and tailgating are all other discourteous acts that could trigger an aggressive driver, creating a Jekyll and Hyde transformation. The circumstances and character of the aggressive driver depends highly on law enforcements, traffic
These drivers not only annoy me, but they also endanger other people. Fast drivers decide to push up right on my bumper, when I am going as fast as I can, making it hard to brake, for the fear of a car going into the back of my small car. It is always funny how when someone is late, the person they end up driving behind is the old lady with no care in the world about whether she gets to the store by next year. Driving should not be stressful, but because of all the bad drivers, it becomes a task that requires fast reflexes and develops patience. I love driving, but it would be so much better with the exclusion of bad
Staying calm is very important. Aggressive drivers tend to make rude gestures and yell obscenities, but do not let this bother you. Paying attention to them will only divert your attention away from the road. Also, do not become frantic if something unexpected happens. Remaining calm will help you think more clearly and
not aware of the tickets and fines they will receive because of their catastrophic driving habit. Road rage and aggressive driving may be similar to some, however the characteristics of the two are in fact different. “In our state of Florida police use a wide variety of non-traditional vehicles and a plain clothes officer’s to record violations with a radar unit and to relay information to patrol vehicles in the area” (Rathbone 15). The result of a survey showed that the time of day which road rage is at it’s greatest is 25% during the 4:00 to 6:00 pm travel peak. Watch
According to the results from the 2009 AAA Foundation’s Traffic Safety Culture Index published on April 2009 and accessed on May 16, 2016, “78 percent of respondents rated aggressive drivers as a serious or extremely serious traffic safety problem. However, many of the same people reported driving in ways that could be classified as aggressive.”
All 50 states prohibit 16-year-olds from drinking alcohol, buying cigarettes, and purchasing handguns. Yet somehow, most states are willing to put them in charge of a car. Teens don’t realize how dangerous driving can be; they believe nothing could ever happen to them. In reality, facts show that driving is the number one killer of teens. At 16 or 17, you may feel invincible, but with a lack of driving experience and distractions such as cell phones, music, food, and even friends, driving can be a dangerous activity. The problem is that teens don’t see certain actions as a life threatening risk. In a recent study, only 28 percent said using a cell phone is a risk while driving, ten percent said the same about having other teens in the car,
Distracted driving poses an immense problem across the United States, and the issue only seems to continue growing. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “In 2015 alone, 3,477 people were killed” in cases involving distracted driving, and of those killed, “teens were the largest age group reported as distracted at the time of fatal crashes” (“Distracted Driving”, n.d.). These terrifying statistics cannot be ignored. Distracted driving is a national epidemic, and unless society addresses the problem properly and efficiently, the risky driving behavior will continue to plague our streets, endangering peoples’ lives and leading to more fatalities.
An easy way to deal with this sort of driving is to use defensive driving tactics and thinking about others or for authorities to make more strict rules when it comes to being inconsiderate on public roadways.
My best friend will likely be the death of me, but I still love her. I have known her for three years and would trust her with anything, or so I thought. Everything changed the moment she got her license. Suddenly the need for coffee was completely eliminated, and all I had to do was ride to school with her. Through many close encounters and two accidents so far, I have learned the definition of a terrible driver. Every ride with her is an adventure involving skipped stop signs, speeding, and near collisions. She is the reason why many adults believe that teenagers should not their license because of poor driving.
After reading “Driving While Stupid,” by Dave Barry, he tells us about some of his experience with seeing bad drivers. Barry uses many old experiences while being in Miami, China, Boston, and Argentina. I agree with this statement because in almost every city I been in the driving was terrible. Everyone, in some way or another, has witnessed people drive very stupid and reckless. Barry indicated that some drivers use insane driving techniques. These include driving very fast, failure of the utilization of headlights at night, and having distractions for the view of the drivers. He says that the drivers do not have a sequence for navigation since some are involved in phone calls, eating, reading, changing CDs, crowd surface makeup, etc. This is a common thing for teens and even adults to be distracted behind the wheel. He drove through various cities where the traffic laws are constantly being violated. For example, has only one traffic law, which is “No driver may ever be behind any other driver.” In his opinion, Miami drivers are the worst drivers that he has ever witness because of the guy who was driving on 1-95. He was watching videos on his phone and was clearly not paying attention to the road or any other drivers. This does not only affect him but also the other people around him. He was not be cautious of the road and putting his and others lives in danger.
Have you ever had a time when driving where there is a person who doesn't know what they are doing and they almost hit you? And when you go up to to see what in the world they were thinking you see them on their phone not paying any attention to the road or how they are driving. If so then you are definitely not the only one. Every year thousands of people lose their lives as a result of reckless drivers on the road. Many of the people responsible for these accidents say that they were distracted by either their phones or some other form of technology. Nowadays people are so consumed with their social lives and what's going on social media, that they feel the need to check these things at the wrong times. More specifically when they are driving. Distracted driving should be stopped because it takes the life of thousands of people every year. Distractions while driving is the result of the majority of car accidents and it is a direct violation of the law.
More and more people are dying from those crucial disgusting accidents. People should understand that those crucial habits should not be tolerated and it cannot be done. Hopefully, this has been persuasive enough so that you don’t need to kill innocent people and you do not need to live with a miserable life. Driving is fun, but killing people is not. Hence, people can grow with some more aware driving skills, and simplify the deaths per year. If people stay away from texting while driving, impaired driving and speed
Now we get into what is known as the reckless driver. A picture comes to mind of a frazzled man or woman driving a beat up Oldsmobile; cigarette dangling from the lip of their mouth, swerving in and out of traffic while others beep their horns in disapproval. This type of driver can occur when a competent driver has had a bad day and is encountering the overly cautious driver. Stereotypically this driver is younger in age and male, but I feel that the reckless driver has no set age or sex. They get so angry for the smallest of reasons that they don’t really care what they do as a result, so long as they go out in a blaze of glory. They tend to disregard most driving signs and have no qualms about risking their life or the lives of others. These are the drivers who barely apply the brake when coming to a stop, more like “tap tap and go”. My uncle Jim is a prime example of a reckless driver. At the age of 82, he drives a boat of a Cadillac, commanding the streets with his led foot and somewhat latent reactions to those around him. Try telling him to ease up or look out, and he’s bound to increase the gas flow to his V8 engine.
Defensive driving is a much needed tactic for driving safely. The standard Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations, ANSI/ASSE Z15.1, defines defensive driving skills as "driving to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others." This definition is taken from the National Safety Council's Defensive Driving Course. It is a form of training for motor vehicle drivers that goes beyond mastery of the rules of the road and the basic mechanics of driving. Its aim is to reduce the risk of collision by anticipating dangerous situations, despite adverse conditions or the mistakes of others. This can be achieved through adherence to a variety of general guidelines, such as following the assured clear distance
Some drivers in this sea of horrible ones seem to be retaining good driving habits. Just the other day I needed to turn into a store off of a two-lane road and a kind gentleman let me into the parking lot, by stopping short of the driveway. Most people with little cars have no idea how much more room it takes to swing a bus or truck when turning most
Arizona law makers took notice of the dangers that are created by aggressive drivers. The lawmakers amended the “Reckless Driving Section and amended the name of the statute 28-695 to Reckless and Aggressive Driving. Arizona statute defines aggressive driving as a situation in which a person commits a violation of speeding and at least two other traffic violations (i.e., failure to obey traffic control devices, improper passing, driving off the pavement or traveled portion of the highway, following too close, failure to yield right-of-way, or driving in a way that is an immediate hazard to another person or vehicle).” (ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY , para. 2). This was an important step allow law enforcement a tool to make the roads safer. The serious problem is we should be trying to be safer on our own.