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Aggressive Driving is a Real Problem on New York’s Roads

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The roads and highways in and around New York City are always crowded. Traffic is a part of living in any big city, especially New York. Listening to the traffic report during either the AM or PM Rush Hours includes a litany of car crashes and delays from one end of the tri-state area to the other. In some areas, such as on the Belt Parkway in Queens, even if there are no accidents, there are places where there are five lanes of traffic that merge down to three lanes, so delays are inevitable.

You Can’t Control the Traffic

When sitting in traffic, there are people who know that trying to control the traffic is like trying to control the weather, so what is the point of getting angry about it. There are people, however, that the longer they sit in traffic, the angrier and more impatient they become. Invariably, after passing the cause of the delay you get those drivers that try to make up for the lost time by driving at a high rate of speed weaving in and out of traffic coming dangerously close to other cars and blasting their horn at people who the driver feels is in their way.

When cars are coming from behind you at those speeds through traffic, you, as a driver, might not see them coming until they are right on top of you. They are changing lanes at high speed with no directional signal and you have to decide how you are going to react if they come too close to you as they pass.

Aggressive Driving and Road Rage are a factor in a large number of injuries

Road Rage and aggressive driving are extremely dangerous. Aggressive driving causes 66% of all traffic-related fatalities. Of all of the aggressive driving incidents reported in a 2017 study, 37% involved a firearm.

After the term Road Rage was coined on a local television station in California following a string of shootings on the freeways, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had defined Road Rage as “moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property or an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger of one motor vehicle on the operator or passengers of another motor vehicle.” Aggressive driving is defined as ”the operation of a motor vehicle in an unsafe and hostile manner without regard for others. Aggressive driving behavior may include: making frequent or unsafe lane changes, failing to signal or yield the right of way, tailgating and disregarding traffic controls.”

Reasons for Aggressive behavior range from getting cut off to having a bad day

Sometimes aggressive driving is not a result of something that happened other than the person is running late, is already in a bad mood, or had just developed a habit of aggressive driving all of the time.

Ironically, people will become aggressive they are the victim of someone else’s aggressive driving. Half of all drivers who are on the receiving end of aggressive behavior, such as horn honking, a rude gesture, or tailgating admit to responding with aggressive behavior themselves.

Just how dangerous is Road-Rage and Aggressive Driving? Over a seven-year period, aggressive driving was attributed to 12,610 injuries and 218 murders.

The best reaction to Aggressive Driving is no reaction at all

If you have been agitated by someone else on the road, the best reaction is to have no reaction at all. If you notice an aggressive driver anywhere around you, drive defensively. Keep additional space between you and the car in front of you. Keep your blind spots clear in case you have to change speeds or change lanes to avoid someone.

Do not retaliate in any way, either by your own aggressive moves in the car or even with a hand gesture, dirty look or eye contact. Do not give an angry driver further reason to be angry. If you see an accident that is caused by an aggressive driver, do not approach the scene and put yourself in danger. When the police arrive at the scene inform them of the aggressive behavior you witnessed without confronting the person who caused the accident. Even if there is no crash, aggressive behavior and road rage should be reported by providing a vehicle description, location, license plate number, and direction of travel.

Call the Law Offices of Marc S. Albert

Being injured, or losing a loved one, in an aggressive driving accident is an emotional experience, in which thoughts of legal action are secondary to recovery. However, sometimes taking action is necessary to make sure that the losses associated with your injuries are covered by the parties responsible. Personal injury and wrongful death attorney Marc S. Albert offers seasoned and compassionate legal representation to victims of aggressive driving accidents.  Marc can be reached in his Astoria, Brooklyn, or Syosset offices at 855-252-3788.