Aggressive Driving
Uh oh….looks like some “hypothetical” driver was lucky Sgt. Eaton was off duty this morning and in his personal vehicle! But it did give him an idea of what to talk about today… #TrafficTipTuesday
“This week for #traffictiptuesday let’s talk about something that does not get nearly the attention it deserves. Aggressive Driving. Before we get too far into this week’s discussion, I think we need to start by understanding what aggressive driving is. The National Highway Safety Office defines aggressive driving as the behavior of an individual who “commits a combination of moving traffic offenses so as to endanger other persons or property.” While many people hear the phrase “aggressive driving” and immediately think of a speeding motorist, there is a little more to it than that. While a driver can obviously receive a citation for driving faster than the posted speed limit, in order to be charged with AGGRESSIVE driving in Maryland the driver must be committing three of the following offenses at the same time, or during one continuous period.
- Running through a red light
- Overtaking and passing vehicles Passing on the right
- Driving on laned roadways
- Following too closely
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Exceeding a maximum speed limit or posted maximum speed limit
Let me give you an example. Let’s say a certain Traffic Sergeant was off duty this morning in his personal vehicle. While minding his own business on the Bel Air Bypass, a silver BMW (whose license plate I will keep to myself for now) approached this Traffic Sergeant from behind at a terribly high rate of speed (exceeding the posted speed limit). Now let’s say this Silver BMW was unable to pass the Traffic Sergeant due to another vehicle being in the next lane. Now let’s assume that rather than be patient, the driver of this Silver BMW decided to get the bumper of his car so close to the rear of the Traffic Sergeant’s car that the vehicles were almost touching (following too closely). Now let’s pretend that, as the two vehicles approached a red light the driver of the Silver BMW moved to the shoulder and sped around the Traffic Sergeant before making his right-hand turn (passing on the right). This would be an EXCELLENT example of aggressive driving. This vehicle operator could have faced a fine of $370 and 5 points on his driver’s license. Hypothetically speaking of course.
I know we have all heard it thousands of times but slowing down DOES save lives. More than 9800 car crashes were a direct result of speeding alone. This coupled with other unsafe driving practices makes aggressive driving one of the most dangerous things you can do on the roadway.
As always, if you have a question or concern, please leave it in the comments below. Also, if you have a specific concern with unsafe driving in your area, such as speeding, drag racing, etc., give us a call, send an email, or reach out on social media. Until next week, slow down, pay attention, wear your seatbelt, and drive safely
HCSO Main Line – 410.838.6600
Northern Precinct – 410.692.7880
Southern Precinct – 410.612.1717
HCSO Traffic Unit – 443.409.3324
traffictiptuesday@harfordsheriff.org
@hcsotrafficsgt on Instagram”