Aggressive driving is a bundle of dangerous habits: speeding, tailgating, weaving. When a driver tries to harm someone else, aggressive driving becomes road rage. Knowing how to avoid provoking others, and how to respond when someone is aggressive toward you, keeps a bad moment from becoming a crash or a crime.
Aggressive driving includes:
- Speeding, which often leads to following too closely
- Frequent or quick lane changes without signaling
- Passing on the shoulder or on unpaved parts of the road
- Harassing motorists, bicyclists or pedestrians who don't get out of the way
- Running stop signs and red lights; passing stopped school buses
- Failing to keep right; driving impaired or recklessly
Road rage
An angry, hostile state that can escalate into violent criminal acts, or attempts at them, arising from driving. It includes behavior meant to provoke others or make them fearful.
Handbook p. 46 ↗Know the rule
Aggressive driving generally involves breaking a traffic safety law; road rage involves breaking a criminal law. Endangering, threatening or assaulting someone can bring fines, jail, probation and suspension or revocation of your license.
Handbook p. 46 ↗When an aggressive driver confronts you:
- Don't make eye contact; the other driver may see it as a challenge
- Stay calm and relaxed, and try to move away safely
- Don't challenge them with more speed or by holding your lane position
- Wear your seat belt and encourage passengers to do the same
- Ignore gestures and shouts and don't return them
- Report them to police with vehicle description, location, plate number and direction of travel
- If followed, don't stop or get out; drive to the nearest police station
- If they crash, stop a safe distance away and tell police what you saw
To avoid becoming an aggressive driver:
- Allow enough travel time, and avoid driving at the heaviest traffic times
- If you're late, call ahead so you can relax
- Don't drive when angry, upset or very tired
- Make your vehicle comfortable; listen to relaxing music
- Sit back, loosen your grip on the wheel and don't grind your teeth
- Be polite, courteous and forgiving; if others drive aggressively, don't copy them
Know the rule
Having the right-of-way doesn't make it a complete right. Be prepared to yield; waiting a few seconds for another driver is far better than risking a crash.
Handbook p. 46 ↗Road rage behaviors include:
- Shouting, excessive horn use, obscene gestures and threats
- Cutting off, tailgating or blocking another vehicle from using a lane
- Chasing another vehicle, running it off the road or deliberately ramming it
- Stopping to get out and threaten, attack or injure a motorist, passenger, pedestrian or cyclist
Know the rule
Rage can raise your blood pressure and weaken your reasoning, so you make more errors and are more likely to crash. State law requires every DMV-approved crash prevention course to cover the dangers of road rage.
Handbook p. 47 ↗Put it into practice
After you merge, a driver tailgates you, flashing lights and gesturing, and follows you for several miles. Don't make eye contact, don't brake-check and don't pull over. Drive to the nearest police station and report the vehicle's description and plate number.