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Aggressive driving is a form of automobile operation in which an operator will deliberately behave with contempt towards other drivers and drive in such a manner as to increase the risk of an automobile accident.
Unlike drunk driving, aggressive driving is not usually the result of a drug or chemical, but rather the personality of the person operating the automobile. An aggressive driver may adopt a "King of the Road" attitude and become offended when other drivers engage in such activities as passing or "cutting off" the driver. The aggressive driver will then take the actions of the other driver personally, and seek to retaliate. This normally leads to unsafe driving acts such as reckless speeding or attempting to run someone off a highway.
Aggressive driving can also lead to much more serious crimes, such as manslaughter or murder. An aggressive driver may drive so recklessly as to injure or kill another driver or, in extreme cases, will "hunt another driver down" and then deliberately attempt to harm the person. This is often known as "road rage".
Aggressive driving may, in rare cases, be caused by mental illness. Persons with mental diseases, who are driving, may become confused about where they are and who the drivers around them are. This could lead to fear, panic or other emotions causing the person to start driving aggressively.
References and links
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Above Average Driver - public safety initiative
- Smooth Operator - a public safety initiative
- The Flicker Fusion Factor (Why we can't drive safely at high speed) - New York Times article by Robert Winkler
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 21 November 2008, at 16:58.
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