How to Deal with Aggressive Drivers

Dealing with an aggressive driver is always a bad experience. (image by driversed.com)

At its core, aggressive driving is a poor driving behavior that can take many different forms. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines as committing a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other drivers, persons or property.

Aggressive driving is dangerous. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, an average of 1,500 people are injured or killed each year in the United States as a direct result of aggressive driving. We think even one life lost to aggressive driving is too many.

Their research also indicates that while there is no single profile for identifying aggressive drivers, because just about everyone is capable of aggressive behaviors, the vast majority of them are males who fall into the age range of 18 to 26 years old. While young males are responsible for most aggressive driving incidents, they’re not alone. Older, upstanding members of society, including females, have also been responsible for aggressive driving incidents.

How will you know when you’re in the presence of an aggressive driver? Their actions provide the key to identifying them. These will include:

• Cutting off other drivers.
• Frequent and unnecessary lane changes.
• Traveling at an excessively high speed.
• Flashing headlights from behind.
• Rude hand gestures.
• Continual horn honking, without reason.
• Passing on the right, or in extreme cases, passing on the median.
• Racing or attempting to goad others into racing them at stop lights.
• Running red lights or stop signs.
• Screaming and profanities aimed at other drivers.
• Tailgating or weaving through traffic.

Once you’ve seen some of these behaviors, you still won’t know if the aggressive acts are intentional, unless they continue. We suggest that you always keep in mind that the driver behind the wheel is a person. It is important to not disassociate yourself from other drivers in the cars around you, and in some cases, it may help to pretend that these drivers are people you know.

However, once it becomes apparent that the aggressive actions of another driver are intended, you should make every attempt to avoid and distance yourself from them. You should also do the same for erratic drivers, or anyone who is driving in a manner that is of concern.

If an aggressive driver actually confronts you on the road, we recommend taking appropriate steps to inhibit your own anger, such as taking deep breaths and keeping yourself calm. In extreme cases, where you’re being hassled or pursued by an aggressive driver, we suggest the following steps:

• First and foremost, make every attempt to get out of the aggressive driver’s way.
• Don’t react physically or emotionally or be baited into a confrontation.
• Avoid making eye contact with aggressive drivers.
• Always keep your doors locked and your windows rolled up. You are always safer this way.
• Don’t ever forget to leave yourself an out – always have enough space to pull out from behind the car you are following. Being able to get away from an aggressive driver who has left their automobile means not being in a confrontation.
• Put your pride in the back seat. You should never attempt to challenge an aggressive driver by speeding up or attempting to hold-your-own in your travel lane.
• Always wear your seat belt. It will hold you in your seat and behind the wheel in case you need to make an abrupt driving maneuver to elude or escape an aggressive driver. More importantly, it is your first line of defense and protection in the event you’re involved in a crash.
• Ignore gestures and refuse to return them. The road is no place to attempt to argue or confront others.
• Report aggressive drivers that are engaged in dangerous behaviors to the appropriate authorities by providing a vehicle description, license plate number, location, and if possible, direction of travel. A call to 911 or your local law enforcement will allow you to report such behaviors. Keep in mind that you should only call the police if the aggressive driver is a danger to themselves and others, and only if it is safe for you to do so. Don’t use your cellular phone if you’re driving unless you have a hands free device. A smarter strategy would be to pull off the road before making the call.
• 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 full details of the driving behaviors and any other aggressive actions that you witnessed.

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