Does aggressive driving lead to crashes in Pennsylvania?

In Pennsylvania, the state’s Department of Transportation works to improve driver safety. There are several main factors that lead to dangerous motor vehicle crashes on the state’s roadways.

Drunk driving and distracted driving rank among the most prevalent causes of crashes. Another leading cause of highway crashes and fatalities in Pennsylvania is aggressive driving, which comprises a range of behaviors.

Signs of aggressive driving

Aggressive drivers are relatively easy to spot on Pennsylvania’s roads. They engage in several typical behaviors behind the wheel, including:

• Weaving in and out of traffic
• Driving faster than the speed limit
• Tailgating (driving too closely to other vehicles)
• Passing illegally on the right
• Failing to yield the right of way to oncoming vehicles

If you see any of these behaviors on the road, you should be aware that the driver is partaking in aggressive behaviors that can lead to serious accidents and even fatalities due to recklessness. The best way to protect yourself against aggressive driving is through its opposite, defensive driving. Take steps to avoid the behaviors in aggressive driving stay out of the way of aggressive drivers. Provoking aggressive drivers only increases your risk of an accident.

It’s not the weather, it’s the speed

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says the majority of road crashes are not a result of inclement weather. This debunks the myth that more crashes take place due to poor weather conditions such as snow and ice. Statistics show that the majority of crashes are actually due to excessive speed.

The Pennsylvania DOT recorded 31,083 speed-related crashes in 2016. Excessive speed is one of the primary indicators of aggressive driving. Therefore, a simple reduction in speed and following speed limits could help lower the incidence of crashes.

Following speed-related crashes, the top four causes of crashes were distracted driving, improper turning and drinking drivers. However, other aggressive driving behaviors, such as proceeding without clearance, tailgating and careless or illegal passing, also appeared on the list.

Clearly, aggressive driving leads to motor vehicle crashes and thus seriously impairs driver safety on Pennsylvania roads. By driving defensively, you can lower your risk for involvement in a motor vehicle crash by an aggressive driver.

This blog entry was posted on behalf of [nap_names id=”FIRM-NAME-1″], and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the firm or its attorneys. The information presented in this blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice.