While most people recognize aggressive driving by others, they fail to recognize when they, themselves, become aggressive drivers.  Aggressive driving is one of the biggest threats we face while driving.  

Aggressive driving is defined as a combination of unsafe and unlawful driving actions, which demonstrate a conscious and willful disregard for safety. Aggressive driving includes such offenses as tailgating, unsafe lane changes, speeding, running red lights and stop signs, following too closely, improper passing and failing to yield the right of way.

Motorists in the Washington area rated aggressive driving as the number one threat to highway safety, according to a AAA Mid-Atlantic Transportation Poll. About 43 percent of drivers are more concerned about tailgating, speeding, rage while driving, and reckless driving maneuvers more than any other danger.

Although it’s not certain what makes someone an aggressive driver, here are some of the things we know about them:

• Aggressive drivers climb into an automobile and take out their frustrations on anybody at any time.
• For them, frustration levels are high, and level of concern for fellow motorists is low.
• They run stop signs and red lights, speed, tailgate, weave in and out of traffic, pass on the right, make unsafe lane changes, make hand and facial gestures, yell, honk horns, and flash their lights.

To protect yourself from aggressive drivers:

• First and foremost, make every attempt to safely get out of their way.
• Put your pride in the back seat. Do not challenge them by speeding up or attempting to hold-your own in your travel lane.
• Avoid eye contact.
• Ignore gestures and refuse to return them.
• Report aggressive drivers to the appropriate authorities by providing a vehicle description, license number, location, and if possible direction of travel.
• You can report aggressive or impaired drivers to the police by calling # 77 or 911.
• If an aggressive driver is involved in a crash farther down the road, stop a safe distance from the crash scene, wait for the police to arrive, and report the driving behavior that you witnessed.

Maryland takes aggressive driving very seriously and is part of the Smooth Operator Task Force. Smooth Operator targets aggressive drivers and we need your help to keep Maryland’s roads safe. Do your part – drive courteously.  Report aggressive driving immediately before it’s too late.

For more on aggressive driving, go to the smoothoperatorprogram.com.