Facts + Statistics: Aggressive driving

Aggressive driving is a major factor in U.S. traffic accidents, playing a role not just in well-publicized incidents of road rage, but in a large number of fatal highway collisions each year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTHSA) defines aggressive driving as occurring when "an individual commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property." While aggressive driving is difficult to quantify, a 2009 study by the American Automobile Association attempted to identify behaviors associated with aggressive driving, based on data tracked by NHTSA’s Fatal Accident Report System (FARS). It found that aggressive driving played a role in 56 percent of fatal crashes from 2003 through 2007, with excessive speed being the number one factor.  The following driver-related contributing factors in FARS were taken as indications that crashes may have involved aggressive driving:

• Following improperly
• Improper or erratic lane changing
• Illegal driving on road shoulder, in ditch, or on sidewalk or median
• Passing where prohibited
• Operating the vehicle in an erratic, reckless, careless, or negligent manner or suddenly changing speeds
• Failure to yield right of way
• Failure to obey traffic signs, traffic control devices, or traffic officers, failure to observe safety zone traffic laws
• Failure to observe warnings or instructions on vehicle displaying them
• Failure to signal
• Driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted speed limit
• Racing
• Making an improper turn

Speeding

For more than two decades, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities. In 2015, speeding was a contributing factor in 27 percent of all fatal crashes, and 9,557 lives were lost in speeding-related crashes, according to an analysis by NHTSA. The NHTSA provide guides, planners and information to law enforcement professionals and prosecutors to assist in the reduction of aggressive driving on its website).

Driving Behaviors Reported For Drivers And Motorcycle Operators Involved In Fatal Crashes, 2015

Behavior Number of drivers Percent Driving too fast for conditions or in excess of posted speed limit or racing 8,778 18.1% Under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication 5,399 11.1 Failure to yield right of way 3,453 7.1 Failure to keep in proper lane or running off road 3,365 6.9 Distracted (phone, talking, eating, etc.) 3,263 6.7 Operating vehicle in a careless manner 2,606 5.4 Failure to obey traffic signs, signals or officer 1,908 3.9 Overcorrecting/oversteering 1,839 3.8 Operating vehicle in erratic, reckless, or negligent manner 1,755 3.6 Vision obscured (rain, snow, glare, lights, buildings, trees, etc.) 1,601 3.3 Swerving or avoiding due to wind, slippery surface, other vehicle, object, nonmotorist in roadway, etc. 1,457 3.0 Drowsy, asleep, fatigued, ill, or blacked out 1,268 2.6 Driving wrong way in one-way traffic or on wrong side of road 1,064 2.2 Making improper turn 951 2.0 Other factors 5,649 11.6 None reported 14,812 30.5 Unknown 7,139 14.7 Total drivers (1) 48,613 100.0%

(1) The sum of percentages is greater than total drivers as more than one factor may be present for the same driver.