Aggressive Driving the National Highway

Aggressive Driving

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines aggressive driving as occurring when "and individual commits a combination moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property" (Aggressive). In a report for the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety Louis Mizell defined aggressive driving as "an incident in which an angry or impatient motorist or passenger intentionally injures or kills another motorist, passenger, or pedestrian, or attempts to injure or kill....in response to a traffic dispute, altercation, or grievance" (Mizell 1996).

Mizell notes that while there is no one profile of an aggressive driver, the majority are between the ages of 18 and 26 (Mizell 1996). Although many aggressive drivers are young, relatively uneducated males with criminal records and histories of substance abuse problems, there are hundreds of aggressive motorists who are successful men and women with no criminal or substance abuse histories, who apparently simply snap and commit acts of violence (Mizell 1996). For example, one prominent lawyer and former Maryland state legislator bumped into the vehicle in front of him, driven by a pregnant woman, and when she approached his car, he became agitated and ended up striking her in the face, breaking her sunglasses and leaving her with a black eye (Mizell 1996).

Thus, age, race, education, ethnicity, wealth status, or religion is of no consequence when it comes to aggressive driving.

Between 1990 and 1996, there were over 10,000 incidents of aggressive driving in the United States, killing approximately 218 individuals, and injuring some 12, 610, some of whom suffered paralysis, brain damage and other disabling injuries (Mizell 1996). In roughly 4,400 of these incidents, the perpetrator used a "firearm, knife, club, fist, feet or other standard weapon" during the attack, in some 2,300 cases, he/she used a more powerful weapon such as his/her own vehicle, and in 1,500 cases they used their vehicle and a standard weapon such as a gun, knife or club (Mizell 1996). Mizell reports that the most popular weapons used are firearms and motor vehicles; 37% used a firearm and 35% used the vehicle (Mizell 1996). In over 300 cases, the aggressive drivers threw beer and liquor bottles, rocks, coins, soda cans, garbage, and partially eaten food (Mizell 1996). Other weapons used include golf clubs, hatchets, wrenches, tree limbs, walking canes, crowbars, and defensive sprays, such as Mace and pepper spray (Mizell 1996). Mizell notes that at least five shootings occurred when teenagers threw eggs or snowballs at motorists, and one aggressive driver actually killed another motorist when he threw a paint roller rod through his windshield and it struck him in the head (Mizell 1996).

While milder forms of aggressive driving, such as horn-blowing, flashing lights, gesturing and shouting, are nothing new, the more violent forms of aggressive driving are becoming increasingly more frequent, and are generally referred to as 'road rage' (Nutter 2002). Many experts believe that this increase may be due to the frustration caused by rush-hour traffic and congested roads, yet others believe that the anonymity provided by the car is likely to induce more overt expression of aggression (Nutter 2002). For example, one study measured the effects of a stationary car at a green light by drivers of convertibles and four-wheel drive vehicles, and found that horn-honking of drivers of four-wheel-drive vehicles started earlier and lasted longer than drivers of convertibles, thus suggesting that anonymity produces higher levels of overt aggression (Nutter 2002). Many studies have shown that men are more overtly aggressive than women despite similarities in the reporting of feeling of anger, and while men may in general be more aggressive than women, the reverse is true in situations in which the person was provoked (Nutter 2002). Other research indicates that although women are less likely to report outward aggression, when made to feel anonymous, their levels of aggression did not differ from that of males (Nutter 2002).