Over the past year we’ve seen lot of traffic accidents resulting from aggressive driving. While it might be a dream to hope for complete harmony on Maryland’s roadways, the fact of the matter is being civil and courteous to your fellow motorists makes for a safer and more event-free commute. Sadly, there is a portion of the driving public that either has no thought for others or is simply too focused on their own agenda to worry about another individual’s rights or safety.
As Baltimore auto injury attorneys, my firm has represented dozens of people injured as a result of another person’s negligence. Aggressive drivers, it is now known, account for a large number of car and truck wrecks every year here in Maryland and across the U.S. Regardless of whether you living in Hagerstown, Rockville or Frederick, MD, you probably take one or more of Maryland’s highways to get to work, school or to go shopping. And the chances of getting caught in an accident caused by an aggressive driver are pretty high these days.
It’s a fact that the American Automobile Association (AAA) estimated that more than half of all fatal passenger car and commercial truck crashes were the result of some type of aggressive driving. Those who survive such accidents can end up with serious injuries as well as long-term medical problems, the cost of which can be a continuing burden on the individual and his or her family for years after the actual crash.
Based on the finding by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety using data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), found that one in three deadly car crashes are directly related to speed. Speeding is one of the primary traits of the aggressive driver.
The point we would like to make is that in this day and age, with society moving at such a past pace, doing your part to be a good driver may not be enough. As responsible adults, we must all be diligent and aware of the surrounding traffic on the road. Avoiding potentially dangerous accident situations caused by those few aggressive drivers is one way to protect yourself and your family from a tragic event.
Be cautious. Experts advise drivers to fight the impulse to impede an obviously aggressive driver by getting in front of him in an effort to slow him down. While it may seem like a good idea at the time, police and other traffic safety experts will tell you that it may only escalate the aggressive driver’s bad behavior and put you and your passengers in danger of an accident.
Considering the potential risk, it is a much better idea to simply report incidents of blatant aggressive driving to your local police department or the Maryland State Police. As the saying goes, “Be safe and arrive alive.”