Aggressive driving, which can evolve into violent There are a number of different reasons for the • Don’t compete on the road. Driving is not a con- behavior known as “road rage,” can cause many increase of incidents: test. Let others who are racing pass you. Al- serious problems on our highways, including though it is difficult to say, let aggressive driv- deaths of drivers and passengers. New and vet- • Increased traffic congestion on roads. ers have their accidents elsewhere. eran drivers must be aware of both aggressive • Parents who teach children that getting angry driving and road rage and know how to deal with • If another driver does something to anger you, at other motorists and behaving aggressively talk to your passengers about it rather than use each when they occur. In particular, aggressive toward them while on the road is permissible. driving can occur sometimes without us even your vehicle as a weapon to retaliate. knowing it, yet it affects others with whom we • A general decline in courtesy and civility. • If you get angry easily and feel you do not have share the road. It has been called a volatile and the best frame of mind while driving, consider volcanic mix of emotion and thinking that seems • More youths today with vehicles, but not pos- sessing the maturity to drive them responsibly postponing the trip until you feel better, have a tragically well suited for expression in motor ve- friend drive or call a taxi. hicles. and with caution during tense situations. • Give an aggressive driver the benefit of the doubt Most of us know that driving is a privilege and • Conflicts from other areas of our lives that ride with us in the car: family issues, marital prob- - it is possible or likely he or she made a mis- comes with responsibilities. One of those is self- take from fatigue or failing to pay attention, but control. Here are some recent examples of what lems, resentments from the job, difficulties with authority and feeling controlled by others. did not intentionally set out to cause a problem happened when self-control, caution and respon- for you. sibility were disregarded: • A sense of “territory” that leads us to presume Motorists would be well advised to keep their cool • A man is shot with a crossbow on the side of a that we own the space around us and our ve- hicle. When another vehicle invades that space in traffic. Be patient and courteous to other driv- highway and dies after he and another motorist ers, and correct unsafe driving habits that are likely pulled over and argued over his allegedly refus- in a way we dislike, we have an increase and unfounded tendency today to strike back. to endanger, infuriate, or antagonize other motor- ing to move from the fast lane. ists. • A sense that as vehicles have become safer to • A passenger dies when his Chevy Blazer rolls Behaviors That Can Cause Trouble over, throwing him into the backseat. The acci- drive we are immune from danger in them, even dent followed an incident in which a passenger at high speeds. Be aware of the behaviors that have resulted in in his vehicle and one in another car exchanged • Vehicles are often seen as “extensions” of our- violence in the past: insults with each other because one vehicle re- selves and that ease of operation gives us the Lane Blocking. Don’t block the passing lane. fused to let the other pass. Soon they were chas- false sense that we control all aspects of the ing each other and ramming each other’s ve- Stay out of the far left lane and yield to the right vehicle, including mechanical functioning of the for any vehicle wanting to pass. hicles, causing the rollover. car as we operate it carelessly. Tailgating. Maintain a safe distance from the ve- • A young college student was shot to death when How to Avoid Conflict on the Road he could not disarm the loud anti-theft alarm in hicle in front of you. Dozens of deadly traffic alter- his jeep. There are solutions to these problems, but most cations begin when one driver tailgates another. of them come from within each of us. Here are Signal Lights. Don’t switch lanes without first Reasons for Aggressive Driving some helpful tips to remember: signaling your intention to do so, and make sure Those are just a few examples of the incidents • Often another driver’s aggressive driving makes you don’t cut someone off when you move over. that unfortunately and needlessly occur on our one feel compelled to retaliate. However, it is After you’ve made the maneuver, turn your signal roads daily. Experts across the country have been best to leave punishment to the police. Call the off. studying the issue of aggressive driving and road police to report any instances of aggressive driv- Gestures. If you want to wave to another driver, rage. ing when you arrive at your destination. please use all of your fingers, not just one. Ob- scene gestures have gotten people shot, stabbed, or beaten. drivers 18 years old or older. Cell phones can be great for security and convenience, but bad for Horn. Use your horn sparingly. If you must get safety. Talking on the phone while driving contrib- Aggressive Driving someone’s attention in a non-emergency situa- utes to inattentiveness, which causes many ac- tion, tap your horn lightly. Think twice before us- cidents. Some of them are fatal for drivers, pas- ing your horn to say “hello” to a pedestrian. The sengers and pedestrians. In addition, Cell phone and driver in front of you may think you are honking at users are widely perceived as causing a traffic him. Don’t blow your horn at the driver in front of hazard. If you must talk on the phone while in the Road Rage you the second the light turns green. A stressed- car, consider pulling over for a few minutes. out motorist on edge, may be set off. Various kinds of violence begins with a driver honking the horn. Alarms. If you have an anti-theft alarm on your vehicle, learn how to turn it off quickly. When buy- Failure to Turn. In most areas, right-hand turns ing an alarm, select one that turns off after a short are allowed after a stop at a red light. Avoid the period of time. right-hand lane if you are not turning right. Eye Contact. If a hostile motorist tries to pick a Parking. Do not take more than one parking fight, do not make eye contact. This can be seen space and do not park in a handicapped parking as a challenging gesture and can incite the other space if you are not handicapped. Don’t allow your driver to violence. Get out of the way and do not door to strike an adjacent parked vehicle. When acknowledge the other driver. If a motorist pur- parallel parking, do not tap the other vehicles with sues you, do not go home. Instead, drive to a your own. Look before backing up. police station, convenience store, or other public Headlights. Keep headlights on low beam, ex- and well-lit location where you can get help. cept where unlighted conditions require the use Program for Repeat Offenders of high beams. Dim your lights for oncoming traf- fic; don’t retaliate to oncoming high beams with DMV also has a program for repeat offenders who your own in order to “teach them a lesson.” Don’t commit traffic violations with a moving vehicle. It Dannel P. Malloy approach a vehicle from the rear with high beams is called the Driver Retraining program and it cov- Governor and dim your lights as soon as a passing vehicle ers the principles of motor vehicle operation, how is alongside. attitude contributed to the behavior found in ag- Michael R. Bzdyra gressive driving and the need to practice safe-driv- Merging. When traffic permits, move out of the ing behavior. Motorists between 16 and 24 years- Commissioner right-hand lane of a multi-lane highway to allow old who have two or more moving violations or vehicles to enter from the on-ramps. suspended license convictions are required to at- Blocking Traffic. If you are pulling a trailer or tend and successfully pass a driver retraining pro- driving a cumbersome vehicle that impedes traffic gram. A motorist who is older than 24 years-old behind you, pull over when you have the opportu- and who has three or more such convictions is nity so that motorists behind you can pass. Also, required to attend and successfully pass a driver State of Connecticut retraining program. do not block the road while talking to a pedes- Department of Motor Vehicles trian on the sidewalk. This behavior has resulted The Department of Motor Vehicles would like to in violence from angry motorists. 60 State Street thank the AAA for its contribution to the under- Wethersfield, CT 06161 Cell Phones. Drivers who are 16 or 17 years of standing of this critical issue in driving behavior. age are not permitted to use cell phones while Z-20 Rev. 5/06 driving. Hands-free accessories are required for ct.gov/dmv