Five Signs of Aggressive Drivers

Aggressive drivers are terrifying to encounter on any roadway, and all the more so on the high-speed thoroughfares where they’re most commonly found. Learning more about common signs of aggressive drivers can help you recognize these dangerous motorists and respond appropriately; if you see an aggressive driver, get out of their way, and if their driving seems especially dangerous, pull over and call 911. Additionally, try to stay calm—aggressive drivers can be annoying, but it’s important that you don’t let it get to you or become an aggressive driver yourself.

It’s important to remember that aggressive driving and road rage are distinct from one another. Aggressive driving is a series of behaviors that endanger other drivers and is a standard, ticketable traffic offense. Road rage, on the other hand, is assault; road rage occurs once someone actively attacks another driver or drives with extreme, knowing recklessness, such as by ramming other vehicles, knowingly speeding the wrong way down a highway, or exiting their vehicle to assault another driver. Road rage is a criminal offense and results in jail time for the driver once convicted. 

The causes of aggressive driving are varied and imprecise, but generally, drivers don’t just “get angry” while on the road; aggressive driving and road rage are usually the result of cumulative struggles and annoyances in life.

Reckless Speeding

Many drivers speed illegally, oftentimes within 5 to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. Aggressive drivers, on the other hand, tend to speed more egregiously, and may also accelerate or decelerate extremely suddenly. 

Weaving Between Lanes

Dangerous drivers are usually in a hurry to get somewhere, so in their impatience, many irate motorists will weave in and out of lanes to gain as much ground as possible. This practice is often accompanied by a lack of signaling or signaling mere moments before changing lanes, which has a high likelihood of causing accidents or inciting aggressive driving in others. 

Never Yielding

Running red lights, not yielding to merging traffic, or otherwise ignoring the right-of-way of other drivers are surefire signs of an aggressive or reckless driver. These driving patterns are especially concerning, as the knowing recklessness they entail is a common precursor to road rage.

Frequent Horn Usage

The horn is a tool to be used appropriately by drivers and is commonly used for acceptable reasons, such as to signal a potentially distracted vehicle in front of you who has not noticed a green light. Yet, one of the first things that come to mind when thinking of aggressive driving is constant, angry honking for mostly invalid reasons; this conception is generally well-founded, as over-usage of the horn often does occur alongside aggressive driving.

Tailgating

Drivers should maintain a two to three-second distance between themselves and the car in front of them to have enough time to react or come to a stop in the event of an emergency. Aggressive drivers, however, tend to knowingly ignore this fact and will tailgate other vehicles, either in an attempt to force them to speed up or simply to intimidate the driver ahead of them.

Aggressive Driving & Road Rage Accidents in Arizona

Aggressive driving, road rage, and severe auto accidents go hand in hand. If you’ve been hurt because of a reckless driver in Arizona, contact us at (623) 877-3600 to schedule a free consultation. You deserve the best; our compassionate, experienced attorneys can secure full compensation for any repair costs, medical bills, suffering, or other damages you’ve sustained.