To Combat Aggressive Driving Attitude and Behavior Modification is required

AGGRESSIVE DRIVING IS A KILLER

27,000 fatalities are due to Aggressive behavior compared to 7,000 DUI fatalities 3,000,000 Injuries $150 billion in costs Equivalent to 9 WTC attacks annually

ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA) FATAL ACCIDENT REPORTING STATISTICS THESE ARE THE TOP 10 METRO AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST AGGRESSIVE DRIVING DEATH RATES IN THE NATION

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Riverside - San Bernardino CA Tampa St. Petersburg - Clearwater Fl Phoenix, AZ Orlando, FL Miami - Hialeah, FL Las Vegas, NV Ft. Lauderdale - Hollywood Pompano Beach, FL 8. Dallas - Fort Worth, TX 9. Kansas City, MO - KS 10. San Antonio, TX 13.ATLANTA

Aggressive Driving Initiatives

The ultimate objective of any aggressive driving initiative or program is to gain voluntary compliance of all traffic laws, which will in turn reduce the potential for crashes. Writing citations is not the main objective, but a means to increase public awareness, voluntary compliance, and improve the quality of life in the community. All programs should include public awareness and education components.

AGGRESSIVE DRIVING and SAVING LIVES

ENFORCEMENT

AIPS

JUDICIAL/ LEGISLATIVE

EDUCATION

EDUCATION ENFORCEMENT JUDICIAL EFFORT

Who are these aggressive drivers? Two thirds of the drivers in the NHTSA survey admit to unsafe driving. Why? Late for meetings, deliveries, traffic congestion, and frustration. We all, at one time or another, have either purposely or unwittingly taken the role of an aggressive driver. We can and must do better. We must raise the bar on safety. It requires a threepronged approach: EDUCATION - ENFORCEMENT and strong JUDICIAL EFFORT to prevent this life-threatening behavior.

Rodney Slater, Secretary of Transportation

Definition Of Aggressive Driving - NHTSA

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines aggressive driving as:

When individuals commit a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.
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Definition of Aggressive Driving

Some communities define aggressive driving as:

the operation of a motor vehicle involving three or more moving violations as part of a single continuous sequence of driving acts, which is likely to endanger any person or property.
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Definition of Aggressive Driving

(Emotional)

Aggressive driving is: driving under the influence of impaired emotions. There are three categories: 1. Impatience and inattentiveness. 2. Power struggle. 3. Recklessness and road rage.
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1. Impatience and Inattentiveness

Driving through red Speeding up to yellow Rolling stops Cutting corners or rolling over double line Blocking intersection Not yielding Improper lane change or weaving Driving 5 to 15 mph above limit Following too close Not signaling when required Erratically slowing down or speeding up Taking too long

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2. Power Struggle
Blocking passing lane, refusing to move over Threatening or insulting by yelling, gesturing, honking repeatedly Tailgating to punish or coerce Cutting off in a duel Braking suddenly to retaliate
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3. Recklessness and Road Rage

Driving drunk Pointing a gun or shooting Assaulting with the car or battering object Driving at very high speeds

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Types of Aggressive Driving

1. Lack of Courtesy 2. Breaking the Law 3. Angry driving

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DEFINITION OF ROAD RAGE

Road Rage is a felonious criminal offense and is an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by the operator or passenger(s) of one motor vehicle on the operator or passenger(s) of another motor vehicle or is caused by an incident that occurred on a roadway.
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Why is aggressive driving and important social problem?

Because there are over 177 million licensed drivers in the U.S. and the majority have been raised in a cultural atmosphere that: CONDONES AGGRESSIVE DRIVING!

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SOCIETY
Encourages competition behind the wheel. Allows the expression of hostility towards other motorists. Promotes a sense of entitlement about the right to drive the way we want. Condones cynicism and disrespect for the law. Promotes the idea of territorial freedom around the vehicle as a private castle.

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SOCIETY Leads motorists to be time-pressured and feeling anxious about getting there. Provides people with multi-tasking activities in cars without training (eating, phone and other telecommunications equip). Creates a diversity of drivers with different abilities, experience, and purposes for being on the highway. Equates masculinity with reckless and high risk behavior.
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SOCIETY Equates effective driving with self-serving behavior (a me first attitude). Ignores moral reasoning and emotional intelligence. Desensitizes the population through a steady dose of driving violence in cartoons, movies, and video games, increasing public tolerance for aggressiveness against strangers and lowering the threshold for expressing it overtly in public.
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The Aggressive Driver Mentality

Double standardIts ok if I do it, but if the other driver does it, I get angry. In many cases, aggressive driving is learned as children riding in our parents car. The tendency, if not corrected, will be for the aggressive driving habits to intensify with each new generation.
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The first step to changing aggressive driving habits is to acknowledge that there is a problem. The principal method of resistance to change is to deny that change is necessary.
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Emotional Intelligence LEVEL 1

Orientation Of FEELINGS Aggressive

Pattern Type of of ACTIONS THOUGHTS Anti-social

Reckless, impulsive & hostile to others Expresses criticism & intolerance
Competitive and suspicious of others, but also prudent & restrained Expresses worries and complaints

Defensive

Suspicious

Supportive

Pro-social

Helpful & pleasant to others Expresses optimism & tolerance 21

HOW TO AVOID BECOMING AN AGGRESSIVE DRIVER

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Acknowledge we all have been See yourself (Witness) Change your behavior (Modify) Realize the risk, It is just not worth it Keep control for yourself and do not give control to someone you think is acting like an idiot
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HOW TO AVOID BECOMING A VICTIM

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Do not engage the other driver Avoid eye contact Do not return gestures Do not use the horn Get the tag number Report the driver to law enforcement If approached or followed go to a safe location Put pride in the back seat Always wear your seat belt Be a courteous and supportive driver

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Please Drive SMART & Be safe!!

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OUR MISSION
SAVE LIVES
for more information

chuffman@aipsnews.com www.aipsfoundation.org
ENFORCEMENT

AIPS

JUDICIAL/ LEGISLATIVE

EDUCATION

The American Institute for Public Safety is the nations leading provider of solutions to aggressive driving and road rage specializing in education, training and public awareness campaigns. Courses are offered for law enforcement as well as violator programs and corporate training.

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