Consult an experienced car accident injury attorney to see if an aggressive driver may owe you compensation
When young people are taught to drive, they are often counseled to be “defensive drivers.” If defensive driving can help reduce accidents and save lives, it stands to reason that aggressive driving can have the opposite result.
What is Aggressive Driving?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, aggressive driving is defined as committing “a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.”
Some common examples of aggressive driving behaviors include:
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Racing
- Cutting off other drivers
- Failing to obey signs and regulations
- Seeking confrontations with other drivers
How Widespread is the Problem?
According to one study from AAA, aggressive driving plays a role in over half of fatal traffic accidents. Speeding in particular—which is the most common type of aggressive driving behavior—is implicated in about a third of all fatalities.
When asked what they considered the biggest threat to their safety on the road, 32 percent of respondents to an ABC news survey said other people driving aggressively. This tied aggressive driving with drunk driving on the survey, and these two behaviors were by far the biggest responses on the survey.
However, many people simply do not see the dangers of their own aggressive driving, especially when it takes the form of speeding. According to a AAA survey, half of drivers admit to speeding on highways and neighborhood roads within the past month, and a quarter of drivers said that they consider speeding acceptable.
What if an Aggressive Driver Causes an Accident?
There is a very real potential for aggressive driving behaviors to lead to car accidents. The good news is, when an aggressive driver causes an accident, it is often easy to hold them liable for any resulting injuries and property damage.
Why?
Because if we look back to that original definition of aggressive driving from the NHTSA, aggressive driving often includes “moving offenses.” Breaking a traffic law is considered to demonstrate pretty clearly that a driver is behaving recklessly.
Of course, it is possible for more than one aggressive driver to be involved in an accident. In such a case, liability would have to be split between the drivers according to how much their actions contributed to the accident.
If you have been injured in an accident and you suspect aggressive driving was involved, contact a skilled car accident attorney like Fernando D. Vargas right away for help.
