A 3-minute lesson from the Washington course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Aggressive driving and road rage are different offenses. Aggressive driving is risky, intentional driving; road rage turns anger into violence. Learn to spot both in yourself, protect yourself from others, and report what you see.
Aggressive driving
A traffic offense: a driver purposely does something that endangers people or property, or that forces another person to protect themselves.
Street racing and unauthorized street demonstrations carry severe penalties for drivers and anyone who instigates or assists: fines, jail time, and vehicle impoundment.
A criminal offense: an angry response to something on the road that leads to violent behavior with a vehicle or other weapon. A driver or passenger can commit it.
Stress, tight schedules, traffic, and non-driving frustrations feed road rage. Allow plenty of time, keep safe space around your vehicle, and show grace.
A driver you accidentally cut off starts tailgating and follows you through several turns. Don't brake-check or gesture back. Drive to a busy area with open businesses and call 911 with the location, plate, direction, and vehicle colors.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Which of these is classified as aggressive driving in the handbook?
Driving below the limit in heavy rain
Waiting for a large gap before turning
Using the left lane to pass
Following too close
Answer: Following too close
Following too closely is listed as a behavior associated with aggressive driving.